A 44 year old mother has been arrested and charged with child endangerment as a result of leaving her 10 year old son alone in a Lego store while she was elsewhere in the shopping centre.
Mum arrested after leaving 10 year old son in Lego store for 2 hours
Jia Fan, of New York, left her son unsupervised for approximately two hours, with no phone or other method of communication.
The Ontario County Sheriff Office states:
“The child did not know the whereabouts of [his mother] during that time period and had no way of contacting her,” officers told local news WHAM.
Furthermore it is reported that a sign posted on the shop window reads:
“To ensure that your children have a safe and enjoyable experience in our store, please do not leave them unattended. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.”
Lego corporate spokeswoman, Amanda Madore, said store employees followed company policy regarding unaccompanied minors by contacting mall security.
Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Lt. David Cirencione of Ontario County Sheriff’s Department, believes it is especially relevant that parents take responsibility for the safety of their children.
“There are tens of thousands of people in and out of that mall and every mall on a weekly basis,” he said. “We can’t account for who’s in there and parents need to do their part to protect their children too.
“When you’re in the 10,11,12 age range, it’s tough,” he said, “because different children have different levels of comfort and maturity at those ages.”
In this case, however, the Lt believed the potential risk to the child was consequently too high.
Doug Dunlop, the boy’s father wrote after the incident:
“My son, who rides his bike to school alone, goes regularly to stores to buy groceries, earns money for babysitting and yard work, and is passionate about Lego, is apparently not old enough to be at the Lego Store alone,”
He further stated:
“This policy is not posted, and they had to sneakily ask him his age to even know how old he was. He has been going to the Lego store alone to spend his money since he was nine.”
Most noteworthy, the Lego store’s policy has proven controversial in the past. Some parents are supportive and others think the opposite, believing it is outdated and harsh.
Twitter Responds:
@LEGO_Group store told my 10&12 yr olds to leave since they weren't with an adult, no worries Lego we'll use @amazon #neveragain
— Mark Rulli (@MarkRulli) April 19, 2017
Hi Mark, sorry to hear that you're disappointed with our LEGO store policy. We'll pass on the feedback.
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) April 19, 2017
I support the Lego store policy! Children 12 and under should be accompanied by an adult!
— Rebekah Grebenjak (@BeckyGrebenjak) April 30, 2015
Consequently, what do you think about the incident? Do you believe that the mother should have been charged or is the policy outdated?
Are people so ignorant to the dangers of sickos that prey on children that they are seriously going to boycott a store for being concerned about their childrens welfare??
I would happily sign a petition to make it illegal for children under the age of 18 to walk/ride home from school or go to shops and restaurants alone. As this world is so dangerous and so many people seem to be oblivious.
Not to mention I have seen even teenagers do ridiculously dangerous things when crossing traffic, steal things in shops, be rude to others, drink and smoke underage, trash playgrounds, the list goes on.
You are responsible for your children’s behavior and well being. So watch your children, protect your children and raise them right!