"My main concern, being so upset about it is it looks like we went out with the sole intentions of partying and that is not what we were doing," says Jennifer Engel.
The family says friends invited them to a local pool hall, when they decided they would bring in the new year at home instead.
Engel explains, "We happened to be in the area so we thought, well we'll just swing by, tell them we can't hang out and then we'll just go on about our way."
During that time, witnesses called police to report Jennifer Engel's eight-year old son being left in the car.
"The report says he was in the car for over an hour. He was in the car maybe 20 minutes at the most," says the mother.
Jennifer Engel and Brady Holder were arrested on New Year's Eve for abandonment and endangerment of a child. They spent almost 24 hours in jail.
Engel says, "For someone as myself, with no background of criminal history, of cps history or anything, they didn't take any of that into account."
The two were indicted in May. And Engel took a plea bargain, while Holder waits for his date to be reset.
She says, "The way the justice system works in a situation like this is not good. It's unfair."
The two say it was something they never want to experience again.
"At the time we didn't see a problem with it. Of course now we know," says Engel.
Holder adds, "If I would have known that leaving him in the car for even a minute was against the law, it would never have happened."
The family says friends invited them to a local pool hall, when they decided they would bring in the new year at home instead.
Engel explains, "We happened to be in the area so we thought, well we'll just swing by, tell them we can't hang out and then we'll just go on about our way."
During that time, witnesses called police to report Jennifer Engel's eight-year old son being left in the car.
"The report says he was in the car for over an hour. He was in the car maybe 20 minutes at the most," says the mother.
Jennifer Engel and Brady Holder were arrested on New Year's Eve for abandonment and endangerment of a child. They spent almost 24 hours in jail.
Engel says, "For someone as myself, with no background of criminal history, of cps history or anything, they didn't take any of that into account."
The two were indicted in May. And Engel took a plea bargain, while Holder waits for his date to be reset.
She says, "The way the justice system works in a situation like this is not good. It's unfair."
The two say it was something they never want to experience again.
"At the time we didn't see a problem with it. Of course now we know," says Engel.
Holder adds, "If I would have known that leaving him in the car for even a minute was against the law, it would never have happened."
Comments
what about it being dark, late at night, all alone
and 37 degrees?
Anita C.
July 22, 2012 at 11:26 am
This is a sad thing. It should never have been called in. Big can of worms with a twisted outcome.
Don W.
July 21, 2012 at 3:09 pm
