POLICE: Sprint Refused to Help Find Abducted Toddler....

by Frannie Banannie 14 Replies latest social current

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  Frannie Banannie

  http://www.thehometownchannel.com/family/6054536/detail.html

  Police: Sprint Refused To Help Find Abducted Toddler

  Dad's SUV Stolen With Child Inside

  POSTED: 8:20 am CST January 13, 2006

  CORONA, Calif. -- Police in Corona said the Sprint telecommunications company refused to provide information to help locate a toddler who was in his father's SUV when it was stolen.

  In response, Riverside County lawmakers wanted to put a moratorium on permits for new Sprint cellular towers, but they discovered they don't have authority.

  County Supervisor John Tavaglione proposed the moratorium. He said he wanted to send the message to the provider that things need to be done differently when a child's life is at risk. As Tavaglione put it, "The bureaucracy and the hoops that everyone has to jump through need to be minimized."

  The drama began the morning of Dec. 23. Jason Cochran buckled his 10-month-old son, Wade, into his car seat and ran into his house near Corona to get his 3-year-old son, Blake. When Cochran came back outside, his beige Lincoln Aviator -- and Wade -- were gone.

  Cochran's cell phone, equipped with a global positioning system, also was in the car. But Cochran's wife said a Sprint operator told her the company couldn't give her the coordinates for the Aviator's location. The company told a Riverside County sheriff's detective that it wouldn't release the information without a subpoena and a $25 fee, she said.

  The missing child and the car were found about two hours later--without getting the cellular data.
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  AlmostAtheist

  Not to take this thread off track, but:

  Jason Cochran buckled his 10-month-old son, Wade, into his car seat and ran into his house near Corona to get his 3-year-old son, Blake. When Cochran came back outside, his beige Lincoln Aviator -- and Wade -- were gone.

  This is exactly why I never leave my kids alone in the car. I see people pull up in front of a store, dash in, dash out, all while their kids are strapped in the car. I've heard them say, "I can see them, so they're safe". Car jackings take place while you're IN the car, and you think somebody isn't going to steal your car because you're LOOKING at it?!?!

  Oh, and Sprint should be drawn and quartered. This was idiotic.

  Dave
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  Frannie Banannie

  This is exactly why I never leave my kids alone in the car. I see people pull up in front of a store, dash in, dash out, all while their kids are strapped in the car.

  Almost Atheist, a 10-mo-old AND a 3-yo together are more than a handful, especially with all their traveling accoutrement. I figure since he ran back into his own house to get the 3 yo that he COULD have been parked in his own driveway, in which case, he was probably doing the best he could.

  But I agree about Sprint totally. I'm glad I don't use 'em.

  Frannie
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  Saoirse

  This is absolutely outrageous. There is no excuse for this. Whoever was involved should be immediately fired and the company should be heavily fined.

  There should be a boycott of their service. I have Sprint PCS and my contract ends next month. I will cancel and find another carrier.

  Anyone have any recommendations?
• 

  Frannie Banannie

  SBC DSL is really good, Saorise. I use it and have used it for over a year. No worries with it.

  Frannie
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  AlmostAtheist

  Gina and I both use t-mobile and it seems to work pretty well. Customer Service has been good, too.

  To each his own, Frannie, and my own wife doesn't take it to the extreme that I do, but I wouldn't leave any kid in a car that I wasn't walking around myself. I guess I'm parent-noid. ;-)

  Dave
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  Frannie Banannie

  Gina and I both use t-mobile and it seems to work pretty well. Customer Service has been good, too.

  To each his own, Frannie, and my own wife doesn't take it to the extreme that I do, but I wouldn't leave any kid in a car that I wasn't walking around myself. I guess I'm parent-noid. ;-)

  I have friends who've used T-mobile phones, too, and they really like 'em.

  AlmostAtheist, I appreciate your position on this subject cause I know you're a really good mature parent. I just wanna give that (probably on the really young side, with a 3 yo & 10 mo old) little daddy some slack. He might have left the 3 yo standing in the doorway where he could see him while he buckled up the babe and when he turned back for the 3 yo, the boy had re-entered the house. It's possible. Anyway, I'm just glad they found the babe.

  Frannie
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  LDH

  Because of a similar situation here in California about five years ago, a law was passed that said an unattended child may not be left in a running vehicle for any length of time.

  I'm surprised the father wasn't charged with endangerment of a minor.

  It IS a handful to have two small children.
• 

  outbutnotdown

  Almost Atheist,

  No matter what parents try to do, there are ALWAYS going to be situations where their children are at a certain amount of risk to criminals, such as the example that Frannie Bananie used with the child wandering off.

  Besides, your own comment is a bit of a contradiction in itself:

  "This is exactly why I never leave my kids alone in the car. I see people pull up in front of a store, dash in, dash out, all while their kids are strapped in the car. I've heard them say, "I can see them, so they're safe". Car jackings take place while you're IN the car, and you think somebody isn't going to steal your car because you're LOOKING at it?!?!"

  If the dude has to worry about someone taking off with his car and kids WHILE HE IS DRIVING, how sensible is it for him to feel that he can protect them at all times anyway?

  I pull up to me house with three small kids sleeping.... should I have to wake them all and make them walk in with me each and every time, just to avoid the one in a million chance that a crook may take my vehicle?

  And I agree, Sprint should be boycotted for refusing to help. Idiots!

  Brad
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  Mr. Kim

  Sprint Refused to Help Find Abducted Toddler and refused to give information to the POLICE to locate this child and the darn car?

  .......IF this is true, the people responsible for these actions (Sprint employees, board of directors, help line etc.) should automatically be given twenty years in prison for aiding and abiding kidnappers and I would have to take some form of personal action against the people directly responsable.........say, a little "nip-tuck" surgery should do the trick!

  Who am I kidding? Sprint will get off scot-free like any other big business!

  BTW, the parents would have to be re-educated about common sense...........