Charges: Crack-smoking mother left infant with violent teen
TACOMA, Wash. -- The woman accused of leaving her infant child with her troubled teenage son so she could spend the night smoking crack was charged Thursday with criminal mistreatment.
Pierce County prosecutors say 40-year-old Robin Ross left her 9-month old and her 2-year old in the care of their 14-year-old brother on the evening of Nov. 30.
While Ross was allegedly out smoking crack, the 14-year-old -- referred to as C.J. in court papers -- assaulted the infant, according to prosecutors.
When Ross returned home the next morning, she found the infant unresponsive and called 911. Doctors soon learned the child had suffered severe head trauma. Doctors told investigators the boy is 80 percent brain dead and likely will not survive the injuries.
Police soon interviewed C.J., who allegedly told them he was jealous of and doesn't like his infant brother. He said while he was babysitting the kids, the infant spit on him and started crying. He said that made him angry, so he hit the boy with a rubber ball and a pillow and then violently shook him, according to prosecutors.
C.J. said he realized he'd injured the baby, but didn't call 911 because he didn't know his address and was scared he'd get in trouble.
Ross said C.J. has a history of anger problems and has been violent in the past. In fact, just a few weeks prior to the Nov. 30 incident, Ross said C.J. held a knife to his 10-year-old brother's neck, prosecutors said. In an interview with police, the 10-year-old said C.J. had punched him, choked him, and hit him with a bat in the past.
Prosecutors say Ross was well aware of those violent incidents, yet chose to leave her infant in C.J.'s care.
C.J. has been charged in juvenile court with first degree assault.
Pierce County prosecutors say 40-year-old Robin Ross left her 9-month old and her 2-year old in the care of their 14-year-old brother on the evening of Nov. 30.
While Ross was allegedly out smoking crack, the 14-year-old -- referred to as C.J. in court papers -- assaulted the infant, according to prosecutors.
When Ross returned home the next morning, she found the infant unresponsive and called 911. Doctors soon learned the child had suffered severe head trauma. Doctors told investigators the boy is 80 percent brain dead and likely will not survive the injuries.
Police soon interviewed C.J., who allegedly told them he was jealous of and doesn't like his infant brother. He said while he was babysitting the kids, the infant spit on him and started crying. He said that made him angry, so he hit the boy with a rubber ball and a pillow and then violently shook him, according to prosecutors.
C.J. said he realized he'd injured the baby, but didn't call 911 because he didn't know his address and was scared he'd get in trouble.
Ross said C.J. has a history of anger problems and has been violent in the past. In fact, just a few weeks prior to the Nov. 30 incident, Ross said C.J. held a knife to his 10-year-old brother's neck, prosecutors said. In an interview with police, the 10-year-old said C.J. had punched him, choked him, and hit him with a bat in the past.
Prosecutors say Ross was well aware of those violent incidents, yet chose to leave her infant in C.J.'s care.
C.J. has been charged in juvenile court with first degree assault.
What?? Crack-smoking infant left with violent teen mother??
 @TimBurr There's still crack?!  I thought meth pretty much wiped that out.
How much you want to bet that she smoked it while she was pregnant with the 14 year old? His actions and reasoning tells me that there is something deeply wrong with this kid. Â Ranging from his home life to brain damage from his mothers drug use, he has a plethora of problems. He obviously got the short end of the stick. Very sad story.Â
 @PDXBEAR Well said.
she needs a court order to tie her tubes!
@Phuzz Normally I would argue about the sterilization thing, but in this case, seems to be the MOST rational thing to do. She does not need to breed any more.
Poor baby. The only good thing that could possibly come from this, is the realization that this little guy won't have to grow up with the fear of becoming a dirtbag like his brother or a crackhead like his mother.
Â
Rest in peace, little one.
Not sure what is worse the mother or the child, and the state for leaving the children in the home with the older brother after being investigated for hurting one of the younger children. Â What a mess this family is. Â I bet since this is the first of the month the mother used her cash from the state for her drugs instead of food for the family. Â I know another family just like this, they need to tie the tubes of these folks that just keep having more and more children, and how about some drug testing, something needs to be done in this country as there are more and more cases like this all the time. Â It is so sad
CJ needs some serious mental intervention. And the mom needs her tubes tied.Â
This makes me so sad! Those kids should never have been in that home! The 14 year said he knew he hurt the infant,but did not call 911,because he did not know his address? He had a history of anger issues,and had already hurt the other child before this incident.Why does this country,continue to allow abused children to stay in situations like this?
 @Jennifer Hamlet Because they won't listen to ex-husband or family members. Even if they investigate the believe the fast talking abuser. And then there is the case where they listen to the fast talking real abuser and give the children to then even though the Kids don't want to go.
Â
This breeder should be locked up forever. There is no more heinous crime than that which is committed against a defenseless child.
"80 percent brain dead". That made me want to cry for this little guy. Completely helpless.
I used to think the family values and the whole morality issue was being pushed a little hard. Till I seen the other side of the coin. Then we see the destruction and permanent damage caused by [the] Â "it's all about me" lifestyle and it's total lack of concern or responsibility towards producing children that they neither care for nor can afford.Â
 @last boyscout We dont see eye to eye on a lot of things but I cant agree with you more. This is such a sad story. Welfare mothers that have litters should have to submit to random drug testing. I hope this changes some things.
 @last boyscout Curious on your abortion stance given that the conservative view on abortion would only propagate similar situations by forcing people to have kids they might not want (or in this case shouldn't have).
 @deejm2112 Â
Adoption is always an option for those who get pregnant and can't or don't want to raise their child. But it takes an unselfish heart and mind and that seems in too short supply. Parents would rather kill their child than make any sacrifice to bring it into the world and offer it to other parents with aching arms. A more civil society would stop giving people an easy out when they make poor choices, like having sex when you don't have a committment from your partner to raise any children that might result.
Â
For too many people, the choice they demand is limited to abortion when they should have been exercising their other choices so they wouldn't have created an unwanted child in the first place. But that is the selfish, immature stance of - I want what I want, when I want it, consequences be damned, and don't get in my way - that is so celebrated and cherished these days.
Â
 @deejm2112 Abortions? That's the woman's choice who's pregnant. None of my business, if she can play, then she can pay.
 @tigress I'd be happy to respond, but your inquiry is unclear. Can you be more specific?
 @last boyscout  @deejm2112 But only as long as there's a father in the picture, right BS?
If ever there was a reason to teach sex education and birth control in schools, this is it. Lets not continue with the Abstinence Only education that repubs and 'educated' christians support because its not working. This is just a d amn shame.
 @StonedRangerÂ
What drivel. There are plenty of people who know exactly how babies happen and have access to birth control. There are also lots who don't care enough to put it to use or are so drug-addled they couldn't even if they wanted to. Some people have less concern for their children than most people have for their pets. You can't fix that except through forced sterilization and removing their kids from their custody - FOREVER. And I mean men as well as women. We let men off the hook far too easily and they have the potential to bring far more children into the world that they don't support.
 @StonedRanger This isn't the "Christians" work. This is Liberalism in action. This is what happens when the "make love not war" crowd make the rules.Â
 @last boyscout I dont know ANY liberal that would condone this. Dont blame conservatives or liberals, blame drugs. Funny how EVERYTHING bounces back to politics. Pathetic really. It's actually pretty entertaining to see people grasp at straws.
 @PDXBEAR I know a few. Of  course they abhor the outcome, but they refuse any restraints on the behavior.  And they would tell you that you have no right to tell them what drugs they can do, when, or how much or how often. They will also tell you they can have sex with whatever, whomever and how often they want. Because they will tell you that: it's their body, and their "choice", and that they want the "government" out of their bedrooms. And I know this. These are NOT Republican or conservative values by any stretch. I'm not blaming politics, I'm just pointing out the ideology that so many of these misfits share. And that ideology happens to closer resemble the Liberal Ideology than the Conservative.Â
Why-o-why do I read the news????? This makes me so sick
Sadly the kids never had a chance. They will all be dead or in prison shortly thanks to "mom".
 @2012 Hope and Change Sadly we get to pay for all of it. This is the one reason I think free birth control for everyone is not such a bad idea. Those who are responsible already have it and use it if they want. Those like this lady create nothing but problems and huge expenses for the rest of us without it.
Â
Just think for about $10k for her entire life we could have prevented what likely is already over $100,000 thousand given to this lady for medical care and welfare (assumption here on my part that crack mom has not been paying the bills but we have). This does not take in account we have to educate her kids at $12k/kid for 15 years as well.
Â
So giving her $10k in BC pills for life sounds like a great deal to me.
 @FreedomRocks
Free birth control abounds already for those willing to go to a little effort to get it. Free of not, it wouldn't work unless it was forced on her as an implant she couldn't remove herself. Using birth control requires a willingness to be responsible, committed, and coherent. She is unlikely to be any of those.
Â
And let's not forget the sperm donors - they should be forcibly rendered sterile as well.
I can't have children but this complete POS was able to have three. I just don't understand it sometimes....
This makes me sick to my stomach...
'Charges: Crack-smoking mother left infant with violent teen'
Â
Evidence would tend to indicate that the term 'mother' is probably not accurately applied.
Â
Maternal incubating addict?
judgement-impaired female genetic donar?
Â
There's just no words to describe the incredible distructive influence that addiction has on a family. My prayers are with the little boy... I'm going to have to work on caring what happens to the other two. Â
@MarkKpic I hope your prayers are with the 2 year old as well as the brain damaged infant since that child certainly had no say in matters either. And the 10 year old brother, he's been abused too. Actually, I only have lack of sympathy for the mother since even the behavior of the violent 14 year old most likely was caused by the mother's drug use (or at least her lack of parenting / abuse / neglect / etc.)
F.A.I.L.
I don't even know what to say except this makes me feel ill.
SO basically mom abandoned her kids; the older brother was "set u p" since he already had anger issues, and he exploded. Â An entire family is destroyed due to drugs. selfish choices and youth. Â Some people should not breed. Â What good has this mother done for any of her children?
You have to wonder why the 14 yr old was still in the 'family' home with his history of violence toward his brother. A stable set of parents would likely be unable to parent a child like that, let alone a crack-smoking single parent.
"Crack-smoking mother left infant with violent teen"
Â
"Mother" is a pretty poor description of the woman in this story. Â That 14 yo kid is damaged and needs some serious evaluation in a secure facility.
Â
This is probably one situation where splitting up the family would be a good idea for everybody involved.
Â
Did I miss the part in the story where the state removed the rest of the children from her care???
The government needs to offer a weeks worth of crack in exchange for voluntary sterilization.
Â
Somewhere we need to end this insanity of irresponsible parents having one kid after another.
 @RalphCramden I think a much more viable plan would be to pass laws allowing for drug testing for all welfare/SNAP/WIC recipaints. Addiction and sexual promiscuity often (if not always) go hand in hand.Â
Â
...and yes, I'm assuming that this woman was on (one form or another) welfare....a presumption that I'm pretty comfortable making.Â
Â
but... then the ACLU would get involved and any hope of rational thought goes right out the window.Â
 @MarkKpicÂ
Here is a nice link.
Â
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Prevention
@RalphCramden "Somewhere we need to end this insanity..." that's how most gun control advocates begin their statements. The problem is too complex for an easy solution, and even a solution for some will not provide a solution for others. That leaves us stuck with trying to provide a fix after the fact on a case by case basis.
 @JTesla  @RalphCramden Slight difference is gun nuts don't get to keep shooting new people every 1-2 years for 30 years. They end up effectively sterilized by society since they are put in prison after the first shooting. This lady gets to keep pumping out victims endlessly.
Â
So I am not buying your comparison to gun control since it already has laws to prevent this sort of thing...
 @ormom  @RalphCramden Yes and take a look at how well it is working...NOT.
Â
There are several things you are not taking into account that don't show up in the numbers.
Â
First many of these much lower countries don't have the drug problem which ties into the homicides by firearm which a large number of in the US are done with illegal weapons by illegal drug dealers.
Â
Second the more people you cram into a small area the higher the rates are due to the RAT factor and gangs. Crimes go up in these areas in general including those with guns.
Â
Third the places that have banned guns in your article still have gun crimes only the people dieing are not the criminals its the victims which is often different in the US.
Â
For example gun crime in the wonderful UK utopia you talk about is up 35% and the criminals are 5 times more likely to break into a home with someone in it when armed because they know the victim will not be able to fight back. In the US the criminals tend to look for empty homes so they don't get shot at.
Â
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-154307/Gun-crime-soars-35.html
 @RalphCramden Â
We should be so lucky as the UK and Australia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate#List
Â
 @FreedomRocks  @JTeslaÂ
Oh yea, I get that.
Â
The gun grabbers have some irrational fears for sure. They also have some pretty idiotic beliefs like thinking that only cops can be trusted to have guns. That is really weird. Throughout history cops in a gunless society have been the abusers. Saddam's society was that way.
 @RalphCramden  @JTesla I did not mean that gun owners had an irrational fear. Their fear is very real as you mentioned. The irrational fear is by those who want to take our guns away thinking that will somehow make them safer.
 @FreedomRocks  @JTeslaÂ
Government taking guns away is not an irrational fear. In recent history the UK and Australia have both done it. The US wants to do it also as does the UN.
 @JTesla  @FreedomRocks It is definitely a slippery slope when it comes to government regulation.
Â
I for one want as little as possible especially now we have put people in charge that think they know how we should best live our lives from everything to what we eat to how we light our house.
Â
For example we don't want 10 year old driving so we all agree having some regulation to drive makes since to protect us all. You could extend that to guns and dozens of other things just as easily.
Â
I am an avid second amendment fan but would have no problem if they required safety training classes as well as age limits (which they already do). The problem is to many people want to solve the issue with bad people doing bad things by taking away my rights.
Â
Not once in 52 years have I heard someone use that same argument against any other tool/item other then guns even though if you applied your stellar logic (complement not criticism here) it should be applied to auto's and alcohol just as much as guns but its not.
Â
So this tells you there is a hidden agenda by the left to take our guns away. It may be just an irrational fear by many or something more sinister but the fact they guns are singled out over equally as big or bigger safety issues with other tools leads me to lean more towards the latter.
 @JTesla  @FreedomRocksÂ
I think you are both on the same side of the fence. Just a misinterpretation of comments that happens often in online forums.
Â
As for government control I am against it as much as we have today.
Â
For welfare folks make voluntary sterilization a "bonus" to the Oregon Health Plan that pays an additional $500 for anyone who wants the procedure. No one would be forced to do it and from past history there will be a lot of folks who will opt to have the procedure done.
@FreedomRocks Technically I'm not comparing it to gun control, I'm comparing two arguments in favor of government regulation. Gun control nuts use the same broad brush as would have to be applied here, except for Ralph's voluntary sterilization plan of course. Being strongly opposed to strong goverment regulation in one instance, it follows that I'm opposed to strong government regulation in the other.
 @JTesla Â
Most of my comment was tongue in cheek.
Â
But really, the state needs to offer money to any person on welfare if they get voluntary sterilization. No forcing or coercion. Just an option of the person wants it.