Uncle charged in death of boy in hot tub
By Marilyn Robinson, Rocky Mountain News
Published August 26, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
The uncle of a 20-month-old boy who died after he was found in a hot tub in his father's backyard has been charged with child abuse resulting in death.
Jarrod Newsome, 28, surrendered to Adams County authorities and was released on $20,000 bail.
His nephew, Kaden Newsome, died Aug. 19, a week after he was found in the hot tub at the Adams County home of the boy's father.
The toddler and his 2-year-old sister had been left with Newsome while their father ran errands, and the uncle had fallen asleep on a couch, authorities said.
A woman found the boy in the water when she arrived at the home at 8199 Welby Road to pick up her dog, sheriff's officers said.
Authorities believe the 32- inch-tall boy crawled into the 26- inch-high tub and drowned. He may have climbed onto a heating unit on the side of the hot tub to get in, they said.
Newsome also faces a misdemeanor charge of child abuse because the girl was unsupervised. He is to appear in court Sept. 25 on the charges.
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August 26, 2008
9:09 a.m.
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wow writes:
To be charged with child abuse resulting in death is a bit over the top if all this man did was fall asleep.
That's the charge you go after for people who beat a child, or refuse to get medical care for a child.
This is the first time I've ever heard of any charges being pressed for a toddler who has accidentally drowned, much less abuse charges.
The guilt he must be feeling, and the anger I'm sure he must be getting from family members, is probably horrendous.
There is a big difference between abuse, and neglect. His sleeping on the job was neglectful.
August 26, 2008
10:34 a.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
NEGLECT IS ABUSE
August 26, 2008
10:54 a.m.
Suggest removal
kristof65 writes:
I hope there is more to this than him just falling asleep on accident. Like deliberately leaving the door unlocked, the cover off the hot-tub, and drinking too much before falling asleep.
Because there isn't a parent out there who hasn't accidently fallen asleep at one point or another while watching their child, or hasn't woken up in the middle of the night when their child has. Most of us are just lucky enough our kids don't get into something dangerous when that happens. Any parent who says otherwise either hasn't been a parent long enough, or is lying.
August 26, 2008
10:59 a.m.
Suggest removal
BigSky182 writes:
The line between criminal neglect and plain old ordinary neglect is pretty clear:
When the child is seriously injured OR KILLED as a direct result of the neglect... it's criminal.
August 26, 2008
11:11 a.m.
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poliwog writes:
I understood after I read the first loud sentence.
I understood after I read the first loud sentence.
I understood after I read the first loud sentence.
I understood after I read the first loud sentence.
get the idea?
August 26, 2008
11:27 a.m.
Suggest removal
BigSky182 writes:
My apologies to you poli.
There are others reading this blog who seem to need emphasis and repition.
Let's try this analogy:
If I am driving my truck down the highway while texting on my phone and I run over and kill someone walking down the shoulder, do I get to say:
1) Aw c'mon - EVERYONE texts now and then
2) Dude! It isn't MY fault... he shouldn't have even BEEN there!!
3) I wasn't TRYING to kill anyone... it's just an ACCIDENT!!
Or do I get to say "Please Bubba... can you use a LITTLE lubricant tonight? I'm starting to chaffe...."
Responsibility (and accountability) doesn't just magically disappear because you feel bad about what happened. I have not once claimed that this Man is evil, or bad, or malicious. Same with the Mom in the other case where neglecting your parental responsibility resulted in dead children.
How about this one:
If my child breaks his arm and I don't take him to the hospital.
If my child needs medication and I don't get it for him.
If my child is hungry but I am too busy to feed him.
If my child needs to be supervised (because he can barely even walk by himself yet) but I was tired so I feel asleep and HE DIED.
Where do you draw the line?
Ask yourself this question:
Do you think the boy's father is saying "It's OK Bro, we all get tired sometimes".
What if you left your 20 month old baby with a babysitter/family member/day care center and they said "Sorry Dude, I fell asleep and your kid is dead now." Are you going to say "Pshaw! Don't worry... we've all done it!"
I think not.
August 26, 2008
11:35 a.m.
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jlong writes:
I for one am happy to see that charges were filled against him. It was his responsilbility to take care of those children and he failed and that little boy paid for his failures with his his life. I personally think we use the word accident far to often when in reality someone is always at fault. I don't care how tired you are a baby needs supervision, thats why he had them in the first place.
August 26, 2008
11:40 a.m.
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BigSky182 writes:
jlong: I agree wholeheartedly with what you said, but not with how you said it.
Someone is not always "at fault" or "to blame"... but there is always someone who is ultimately responsible for everything that happens... natural disasters excepted.
Finding fault and blaming involves juding the person. Making people accept the consequences (accountability) for things for which they were responsible is judging the event.
August 26, 2008
12:25 p.m.
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cassidy22 writes:
There is fault here. If this man was so tired he needed a nap - he should have put that child in a safe place - crib, play pen, with a monitor, so he could get some shut eye. Who lets a toddler wander their back yard with an open hot tub, while they sleep on the couch?
That's a severe lack of responsibility and maturity. Charges should be filed. Some people learn the hard way. it's too bad a child had to die.
August 26, 2008
12:49 p.m.
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J_Phil writes:
The guy obviously screwed up, his negligence led to death-- But I hope if convicted, the judge will sentence accordingly. He doesn't deserve to be in prison right along side the Midyettes from Boulder who broke and bruised their baby's bones out of repeated violent acts.
August 26, 2008
1:32 p.m.
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kodijack writes:
I think that at least half the blame should be the parents who left a hot tub unsecured. What parents of very small children have a hot tub that is not locked down unless those parents are actually in the water?
August 26, 2008
2:23 p.m.
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tchoupitoulas writes:
The charge sounds harsh, BUT you have to remember that in Colorado you have a duty to affirmatively take steps to prevent harm to others, especially young children. Falling asleep, leaving a door unsecured, and failing to cover a pool/hot tub with a safety cover may seem innocent enough, but someone entrusted him with caring for these two minors and he failed to live up to his duty.
It's not what he intended to do (take a brief nap), but what he actually did (take a brief nap which resulted in an unattended child drowning in a hot tub) that garnered the charges.
August 26, 2008
2:54 p.m.
Suggest removal
tracer123 writes:
I BLAME THE PARENTS.
WHY HAVE A HOT TUB THAT IS NOT COVERED.
WHEN NOT IN USE.
August 26, 2008
3:02 p.m.
Suggest removal
kristof65 writes:
We don't know the circumstances surrounding this. Perhaps the child was in a playpen, but crawled out. If the child had never done that before, or the parents didn't inform the uncle that the kid could crawl out of one, how is it the uncle's fault for falling asleep?
That's why I said I hope there is more to this than him falling asleep. Because if not, then EVERY parent who falls asleep - for any reason, even if it's going to bed at night - is guilty of the same thing.
All that gets reported is that the uncle fell asleep and got charged for the child's death, and people are all over him for neglect and abuse.
August 26, 2008
8:12 p.m.
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theairdog writes:
18-6-401. Child abuse.
(1) (a) A person commits child abuse if such person causes an injury to a child's life or health, or permits a child to be unreasonably placed in a situation that poses a threat of injury to the child's life or health, or engages in a continued pattern of conduct that results in malnourishment, lack of proper medical care, cruel punishment, mistreatment, or an accumulation of injuries that ultimately results in the death of a child or serious bodily injury to a child.
(II) When a person acts with criminal negligence and the child abuse results in death to the child, it is a class 3 felony.
August 26, 2008
10:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
mikeyg writes:
What is wrong with this world wanting vengeance and using the criminal justice system to "teach everyone else a lesson"? Have we gone mad?
Unless the uncle was drunk or high before he passed out this is NOT child abuse under the statute "theairdog" posted. Sorry, falling asleep is not an "unreasonable" action to those of you screaming for his blood or incarceration and ruination of this man's life by the state.
Don't you understand that it was an ACCIDENTAL drowning, it's not like the guy held the boy in 110 degree water for crying out loud!
And don't you get that the terrible burden this man will carry for the rest of his life will never be surpassed by any action the state might be able to impose on him?
We are human beings, loving caring human beings, folks, no different than this guy, capable of doing exactly what he did (and has been done quadrillions of times by parents the world over in just this decade). And as a loving, caring sibling don't you think the uncle will forever carry an immeasurable amount of remorse in his interactions with his family, the boys parents?
But, no, the holier than thou blowhards on this site and the DA want vengeance, hateful, rotten, disgusting vengeance. Like I said, unless this guy was under the influence of alcohol/drugs or was flippant about it and didn't bother calling 911 then the only punishment he deserves is that of his own conscience, a punishment that will eat away at him until his last breath in a way none of you will hopefully ever have to know and bear.
August 26, 2008
11:34 p.m.
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tlcstring writes:
It's understandable that people have different feelings about this. My first thought was how neglectful. Then I remembered something that just happened to my daughter's friend a few weeks ago. She went to visit her mother out of state with her 20 month old. She left the baby watching a video, and went into the next room to iron some clothes. In that few moments, the child got out of the house through the dog door, fell in the Grandmother's pool and died. So, do we lock up mom for being in the next room? Do we lock up Grandma for having a dog door or an open pool? Yes, errors were made, and a precious life was lost. I can assure you that there is no punishment that either of these people could receive that could ever surpass the self-imposed punishment they will forever feel. Thank goodness there were no charges filed. This mother and grandmother adored their baby. Their errors in judgement are no different than those made a thousand times over by all of us parents. Judge, lest you be judged!
September 8, 2008
1:32 p.m.
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Aus42706 writes:
I believe he should be charged with what the court decides. Like everyone else said, the young boy was left in the uncles care, and was therefore guardian until his father returned. Maybe his falling asleep wasn't intended, either way it still happened, and he died while in the uncles care. As to the people who think his guilt is enough punishment, that's like letting someone who murdered their family off the hook because of their guilt. Yes, murder and child neglect/abuse are different from eachother, but if they have guilt for what they done they shouldn't be charged. I don't think the DA is about vengeance, or about 'teaching everyone else a lesson.' He neglected to take care of the child, which in that case is child neglect. I went to school with the mother of this child, and as a mother myself with a boy only 4 months older than her son, it hurt me to find out what happened. I can only imagine the pain she feels. The people thinking that he shouldn't be charged, what if it happened to your child? Wouldn't you want that person to be charged with something? I would like to believe that you wouldn't sit there and say, "Oh they feel bad for what happened, that's enough punishment." Yes, he is going to have to live with it for the rest of his life, but maybe before he fell asleep he should have changed the circumstances. Locked the door, brought them in, covered the hot tub, or just not fall asleep at all.