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N.Y. man charged after leaving elderly parents in sweltering car; father died |
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Written by Jim Fitzgerald, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Tuesday, 08 July 2008 |
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Police in New York state say a man is charged with reckless endangerment after leaving his elderly, infirm parents in a sweltering car while he drove a bus route for three hours.
His father died, but his mother made it out of the vehicle. Police say Theodore Pressman left his parents in his black Suzuki in a parking lot Monday, as outdoor temperatures climbed.
The car was in full sun with its windows closed and temperatures inside reached well over 38 C.
Detective Sgt. Eric Johansen of the Peekskill police says officers are often alerted to cases of animals or even children left in hot cars.
But he says the case against Pressman is a first for him.
"Roles do reverse in family relationships," he said. "Parents take care of children and then at the end children are supposed to take care of parents."
At an appearance in Peekskill City Court, Pressman, looking frail himself, was held on $10,000 bail and was ordered to stay away from his mother.
The 48-year-old argued with the judge over that condition, saying, "I know what she needs. ... I have to make sure she has food." No lawyer was present for Pressman and no plea was entered.
Johansen said there was no indication that Pressman intended to harm his parents. The three lived together in Beacon, about 25 kilometres north of Peekskill and 70 kilometres north of New York City.
Johansen said a check of neighbouring police departments showed that Pressman had often left his parents "at restaurants, delis, McDonald's" while he worked as a bus driver. "This was a frequent practice, but as far as we know he had not left them in a car before," he said.
Police said Pressman's 75-year-old mother, Joyce, was able to get out of the car Monday as the heat built up but was unable to help her husband, 85-year-old Joseph Pressman. The woman weighs about 80 pounds, Johansen said.
"It appears they did not have the physical or mental capacity to deal with the situation," he said. He would not detail the couple's infirmities.
When Pressman returned to the car, his mother was outside but disoriented and his father was unresponsive, police said. After Pressman called 911, his father was pronounced dead and his mother was treated for heat exposure at a hospital and released.
Peekskill police Chief Eugene Tumolo said that after an autopsy, Joseph Pressman's death was declared a homicide. More charges against Theodore Pressman could be added later, police said.
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