FL - Fendra Molme, 11 months, dies in hot car while parents attend church, Palm Bay, May 2023 *arrest*

If one parent is normally left off at the door where they unload their guitars or food, or Sunday School stuff, and that person takes baby to the nursery, the other will park the car and then they may meet in the sanctuary for worship. If they arrive early for rehearsal or because they are part of the activities in the church, then they might not even get to sit together during the service. One could be on a worship team and the other in Jr. Church. They might not even see each other until it's time to head home. I totally get how something like this can happen.

Not in "a small storefront congregation" as this has been described.
 
So he is the pastor but this article doesn't state that his wife is. It would make sense that she cared for the child while her husband lead the services. What happened this particular day that the normal routine was disrupted?

 
So he is the pastor but this article doesn't state that his wife is. It would make sense that she cared for the child while her husband lead the services. What happened this particular day that the normal routine was disrupted?


From the article, the church's motto is "Preach the gospel, make disciples, leave no-one behind".

Ironic :confused:
 
I imagine that each parent thought the other had picked up the baby.

"I'll drop you off at this door, Sweetheart, so we can unload your things here, then I'll go park the car."

One day every baby car seat will have an alarm so these tragic deaths stop happening.
But don't you notice when you both get inside the church that no one has the baby?
 
So he is the pastor but this article doesn't state that his wife is. It would make sense that she cared for the child while her husband lead the services. What happened this particular day that the normal routine was disrupted?

If her husband is the pastor, then the wife is going to know the husband doesn't have the baby. Why wouldn't she remember an 11 month old? obviously the baby is not on her own. Who did the mom think was watching her?
 
I just cannot believe this was just an accident.

There was a similar thing that happened around here some years back. Don't remember all the details except that dad was not normally the one who dropped the child off at daycare, mom was. But he just "forgot" It was not discovered until he got off work... all day! I think he ended up in prison, and I recall him crying in court.
 
It seems like criminal negligence, unless the parents have a really good explanation of why they wouldn't notice their baby was missing.

As a mom, when yoiu have an 11 month old baby, she's on your mind every moment. You cannot ignore them because they are so active and mobile and curious. So once mom made it inside the church, wouldn't she be aware that her child was not present?

I am wondering if the baby was asleep when the pulled in. And maybe they thought they'd let her nap for a bit, and then it was too late when they got around to checking on her?
 
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I just cannot believe this was just an accident.

There was a similar thing that happened around here some years back. Don't remember all the details except that dad was not normally the one who dropped the child off at daycare, mom was. But he just "forgot" It was not discovered until he got off work... all day! I think he ended up in prison, and I recall him crying in court.

Ross Harris?
 
They have 3 other children according to the article. I wonder if the older children usually looked after the baby during services?
That's a possibility. But I'd think if Dad was on the pulpit, the whole family would be sitting together at some point. Sure, the eldest child may take the youngest for a walk or something, but seems weird that mom never seemed to know where the baby was.
 
Family members can help stay safe by putting something in the child’s car seat and moving it to the front when they are in the seat, putting something important in the seat with the child and/or setting it up so daycare will call if the child is not dropped off.
Baby dies in hot car while parents attend church, police say

maybe folks should start putting their phones in the carseat with baby. Pretty sure the number of these types of deaths would plummet. Sad commentary on today's priorities.
I’ve heard something as simple as when you are buckling the child in back.. take off & leave one of your shoes back there.

MOO
 
It seems like criminal negligence, unless the parents have a really good explanation of why they wouldn't notice their baby was missing.

As a mom, when yoiu have an 11 month old baby, she's on your mind every moment. You cannot ignore them because they are so active and mobile and curious. So once mom made it inside the church, wouldn't she be aware that her child was not present?

I am wondering if the baby was asleep when the pulled in. And maybe they thought they'd let her nap for a bit, and then it was too late when they got around to checking on her?
I wonder, do the caregivers in these cases frequently forget other things? Do they forget they started dinner, go down for a nap, only wake up when the smoke alarm goes off? Leave a child in the bathtub and get caught up in their favorite TV show? Have they ever left an older child at Walmart and didn't notice until they got home?

Or did they perhaps forget that a hot car will kill the child?

JMO
 
I wonder, do the caregivers in these cases frequently forget other things? Do they forget they started dinner, go down for a nap, only wake up when the smoke alarm goes off? Leave a child in the bathtub and get caught up in their favorite TV show? Have they ever left an older child at Walmart and didn't notice until they got home?

Or did they perhaps forget that a hot car will kill the child?

JMO
This is a great article about parents who forget their children in the car. It's very interesting and a devastating topic:

 

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