Grandmother arrested after toddler dies in hot car
Monday, July 11, 2005; Posted: 9:13 a.m. EDT (13:13 GMT)


Colorado (AP) -- Authorities arrested a Colorado grandmother Sunday after her 2-year-old granddaughter died inside a car on a day when the temperature climbed to nearly 100 degrees.

Yvonne Mabry was being held on investigation of child abuse resulting in death, police spokeswoman Virginia Lopez said.

Mabry, 36, was baby-sitting Elizabeth Buchmiller and her 5-year-old sister when Elizabeth was left inside the car at an apartment complex Saturday. A neighbor walking through the parking lot discovered the toddler, but rescuers were unable to revive the child.

"Due to the extreme temperatures, it appears to be a tragic accident. But it's a great time to let everyone know that children, adults and pets should not be left unattended inside a vehicle," Lopez said.

Mabry did not have an attorney Sunday. She was being held on $50,000 bond. A sheriff's deputy at the jail, where she was being held, said Mabry declined to comment.

Last year, 35 U.S. children died of heat exhaustion after being left in cars, according to Jan Null, a professor at San Francisco State University who tracks heat-related deaths of children.

"Little children have less body surface area so their ability to cool themselves is significantly less," Null said. "They heat up three to five times faster than an adult would.

"Basically, you can get lethal temperatures in five minutes."

In Denver, the temperature Saturday reach 97 degrees, and the temperature inside the car probably exceeded 140 degrees, Null said.

Some people just don't have common sense. ohno:

This is kind of off the subject but she's 36 and had a 2 year old grandchild. :eek:

This is kind of off the subject but she's 36 and had a 2 year old grandchild. :eek:
that's what I was thinkin!!

:(
there was a case just like that on csi once.
so sad, how can people do that?

This is kind of off the subject but she's 36 and had a 2 year old grandchild. :eek:


I guess you can be a Grandparent in your 30's anymore. ohno:

I guess you can be a Grandparent in your 30's anymore. ohno:
i do not understand your wording...

What a horrible story...but even if she had left all the windows open, WHAT kind of Grandma leaves a TWO YEAR OLD unattended...does she have marshmallows for brains??? Somehow, i figure she'll probably get off with community service , but the estrangement that she'll have with her family from now on will probably be very ruinous...no one wins , so sad :( ( makes me want to cry )

Something like this seems to happen every year. No one learns. ohno: :(

i do not understand your wording...
Really. I mean in the old days I never heard of a Grandparent who was in their 30s. Usually they were at least in their late 40's or early 50's.

When I saw this story I am thinking it was an elderly lady who simply forgot, but 36? How long does it take to figure out the kid you are watching is not there anymore??? :mad:

This is kind of off the subject but she's 36 and had a 2 year old grandchild. :eek:


Actually its not off topic at all - I think its part of the reason that it happened. She was obviously irresponsible and careless and got herself pregnant at a very young age, so did her daughter (or son) so she didn't teach the next generation well, and then is still irresponsible enough to end up accidentally killing her 2 yr old grandchild. Shows a lifelong pattern of carelessness to me. :rolleyes:

Really. I mean in the old days I never heard of a Grandparent who was in their 30s. Usually they were at least in their late 40's or early 50's.

Back in 1983 when I started a new job, one of the women I worked with was 36 and her son was getting married (he was 22). She had gotten pregnant at 14, had the son, did marry the father and had two more daughters. I remember her saying that even though things worked out well for her (she and her husband were still very much in love), she had been way too young and didn't want to see her kids repeating the error. She really instilled that in them. The son was still young, but at least it wasn't because he had knocked up his girlfriend or anything like that. (They did get pregnant almost immediately though). That was pretty much the first I heard of anyone being a grandparent in their thirties. Boy that would make you feel old before your time! :eek:

Back in 1983 when I started a new job, one of the women I worked with was 36 and her son was getting married (he was 22). She had gotten pregnant at 14, had the son, did marry the father and had two more daughters. I remember her saying that even though things worked out well for her (she and her husband were still very much in love), she had been way too young and didn't want to see her kids repeating the error. She really instilled that in them. The son was still young, but at least it wasn't because he had knocked up his girlfriend or anything like that. (They did get pregnant almost immediately though). That was pretty much the first I heard of anyone being a grandparent in their thirties. Boy that would make you feel old before your time! :eek:
You got that right. :eek: I just can't picture anybody being a Grandparent in their 30s. When I think of Grandparents I remember mine and they were all in their 60's and 70's before I was born . My Mom was only 22 when she married my Dad and they were married until her death in 2002 so young marriages can work out. On the other hand my sister was about the same age and her marriage ended after only about 4 years. They're still technically married but they haven't lived together in 3 years. :lol:

Actually its not off topic at all - I think its part of the reason that it happened. She was obviously irresponsible and careless and got herself pregnant at a very young age, so did her daughter (or son) so she didn't teach the next generation well, and then is still irresponsible enough to end up accidentally killing her 2 yr old grandchild. Shows a lifelong pattern of carelessness to me. :rolleyes:
Yep, you're right. I was thinking that very same thing. One of my former coworkers is 38 and recently became a grandmother. One of the nicest people I've ever met but very irresponsible when it comes to common sense. Her whole family is like that. Her mom had her at 17(married the dad), she(my coworker) had her first child at 16, went on to have 3 more kids all by different fathers. Her oldest child, a girl, was taken away and put into fostercare at age 12 after being molested by one of the other kids fathers. And now her oldest daughter just had a baby girl of her own at 21 and is unmarried but still with the father, who knows for how long though. Besides all that, practically everyone in the family is receiving some sort of public assistance to help support their kids.
Like I said, very nice person who would do anything for you but just lacks common sense.

AKKKK