WEATHERPolice: 2-month-old girl abandoned while parents panhandled
Jan 24
2012
A 2-month-old girl spent at least half a day alone in a Perry Street apartment before her jailed parents finally told corrections officers to check on her Jan. 14.
Maurice Bonton, 29, and Kimberly Whitcomb, 20, were later charged with child endangering.
Sandusky police had arrested the two at about 11:45 p.m. Jan. 13 for pan-handling inside Daly’s Bar.
They were taken to the Erie County jail and held without bond because of previous convictions for panhandling.
But not until the following day — at about 4:30 p.m. — did Whitcomb mention to jailers that her daughter, Denver Bonton, was home alone in their duplex.
The night she was arrested, Whitcomb had told police Denver was with a babysitter, a police report said.
Officers immediately went to the couple’s apartment in the 500 block of Perry St., where they heard the baby crying upstairs, the report said.
The door was cracked open, so officers went in and found the infant lying in a child safety seat, police said.
The infant’s diaper was soiled and the temperature in the apartment was about 90 degrees, police and witnesses said.
Officer John Powell searched the apartment and found a diaper bag, so he changed the girl’s diaper.
Police couldn’t find formula, so they called Firelands Regional Medical Center, where nurses told them they had plenty of formula on hand.
Paramedics then arrived and checked the girl’s health.
Market Street resident Carol Sowards had entered the apartment right behind police.
Sowards said she received a Facebook message from Whitcomb’s worried mother at about the same time jail guards and police learned about the abandoned infant.
The apartment was filthy, Sowards said.
“There was a nasty plate of food laying on the floor,” she said. “God knows how long it’d been there."
“The temperature was cranked up to like 90 degrees,” she said. “All that was in the apartment were two TVs, a broken-down couch, a pile of dirty clothes, two cornish hens in the refrigerator and an empty can of formula.”
There was no edible food in the apartment and nothing to drink, the police report said.
Denver was just “staring,” but she didn’t look unhealthy, Sowards said.
There was also a padlock on the apartment door, along with two signs: “Do not knock after 10 p.m.” and, “Absolutely no one under the age of 21 allowed in here.”
Downstairs neighbor Matt Drake said police asked him if he knew where Bonton and Whitcomb were.
He told them he had no idea, but he hadn’t heard movement in the apartment for days.
“By the time police came, the upstairs apartment had been quiet for two or three days,” Drake said. “I didn’t ever hear a baby crying.”
Sowards said she occasionally hung out with Bonton at barbecues and parties and she knew Whitcomb as an acquaintance.
She said she thought they “seemed pretty normal.”
“You think you know somebody, but you never really can,” Sowards said. “I just hope that little girl finds a good home where she doesn’t have to worry about things like this.”
Paramedics took the infant to the hospital, where nurses fed and cared for her, a police report said.
Erie County social workers have custody of Denver until family background checks can be completed, a police report said.
Combined, Bonton and Whitcomb have been charged with panhandling no fewer than six times. They were also arrested Jan. 5 in the 1100 block of Cleveland Road and charged with persistent disorderly conduct.
As of 9 p.m. Monday they were still in the Erie County jail on $10,000 bond.
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06:20 PM
tranaldi says
May the good Lord truly find a better home for the baby!!!!! The parents,if that's what they are,really need HELP! Hats off to the police and nurses and I hope that the social worker has sense enough to put the child in foster care and then up for future adoption by decent family members as Guardians or to a couple w/out children who can't have any,but want one!!! God help us all!!!
02:05 AM
Madscd3 says
and they'll go on to have more children while you and I pay for them! Who's the dumby, them or us???
02:02 AM
Madscd3 says
and more and more kids and then live off the system like so many already!!
09:48 AM
ReallyGood says
With all do respect, a 2 month old can't hit a panic button
09:26 AM
FaithSmith says
As parents, it is our duty to always ensure that our kids are always safe, even more, we should be good examples. I am a parent and I'm worried and I don't want that any kid will experience this again. As a way of helping everyone especially the parents, who find it quite hard to manage time, I found this great application which featured a safety app which gets me connected to a Safety Network or escalate my call to the nearest 911 when needed, it has other cool features that are helpful for your kids with just a press of a Panic Button. Check it here: http://www.SafeKidZone.com
08:33 PM
TuffNutts2011 says
The way I see it, they wanted the baby dead. Nobody would leave a baby like that unless they were hoping for it to die or be kidnapped. I wouldn't be supprised if a molester bought the child and was supposed to kidnap the child after they left the home so they could say they dont know what happened. Maybe he got scared and never came to take the child. 17 years in prison sounds about right for this one. That would be about right. That way the child can't be harmed or blamed for the junkies getting in trouble for this.
04:04 PM
HeaterBugg says
TuffNutts Tell us how you really feel!!!!
01:33 PM
ThinkBeforeYouAct says
This is why people should have to take a competency test before being allowed to have children!
10:25 AM
czechurself says
I hope they are facing more than one charge of child endangering. Leaving the infant alone, leaving the infant alone in an unlocked home, leaving the infant with no food, leaving the infant in unsanitary conditions, leaving the child without protection.... Then they spent an entire night and day without so much as a phone call to another adult to go to the home and get the baby????!!! This actually warrants a charge of abuse rather than endangering.
02:44 AM
The tt says
They always get the best girls.
04:51 PM
TuffNutts2011 says
Anything these junkies say is going to be a lie because junkies dont know what truth is. All they care about is the next time they can use drugs. Its that simple. They are scared of jail because of the withdraws and seeing dealers who are locked up that they pissed off. These people are no longer people. They are just a shell of a body walking around with one mission in mind for the rest of their pathedic lives. Thus why they are better off dead so we can protect the child from them and all the others they will rob and burglarize in the future. I really feel that they sould hammer the dopers with max sentencing for every charge because we are paying for them when they aren't locked up anyhow. They steal from the people who actually work and live off the government any way they can. They committ felonies everyday but just dont get caught. Might as well be in prison so I dont have to inconvienence my day by seeing drug zombies ever where I go in this city. I wish them pain and suffering as long as they use drugs.
03:40 PM
NineMM says
Moderators have removed this comment because it contained personal attacks. Discussion Guidelines04:39 PM
Sum1sumwhere says
wheres the proof the baby was even with a babysitter in the first place...they probly left the baby at home alone... CAN WE ALL SAY CASEY ANTHONY thank god this baby lived!! and the door says no one under 21 the mother of this baby isnt even 21..where was the baby jan 5 when they were arrested. whats bad is they will get this baby back so next time something happens and it doesnt end pretty we have to read about another poor innocent child dying because her parents are worthless human beings....
01:11 PM
sanduskysteve says
So, do we all still believe that druggies should be supported on welfare with our tax dollars?? I sure don't, but everyone was totally against the idea of kicking druggies who couldn't pass a drug test off welfare.
12:49 PM
SimpleEnough says
Moderators have removed this comment because it contained personal attacks and racist or discriminatory remarks. Discussion Guidelines12:40 PM
InterestedReader says
Honestly does anyone believe they really had a babysitter?! Come on now. If they had no food in the house, the baby was starving and they were out begging for money how would they pay!? If they did have someone watching the kid, I'm sure it was another crackhead who was just doing it for a favor & then started jonesing so had to leave to go get the next rock. It's disgusting and sick. I was approached by this "man" once in December, and approached is a polite word for what he did, and I gave him $10 cuz I thought he was going to hurt me.
12:29 PM
starryeyes83 says
Bottom line here is: they're both sk. anks and they sure are not "parents"... welfare drug addicted baby factory and sperm donor is all they are.
ITA with TuffNuts 2011 on this one.
11:40 AM
starryeyes83 says
@ragtop - Amen to that.
11:38 AM
bobaluey says
Moderators have removed this comment because it contained racist or discriminatory remarks. Discussion Guidelines09:39 AM
The Answer Person says
Is this couple part of the Move Sandusky Forward group?
09:35 AM
Unassumer says
panhandling for crack is always more important.
08:49 AM
katelih says
JohnDorian12...Right ! I hope these two never WANT to reproduce,again ! I just wonder why..these two would not close and lock the door ..KNOWING the baby was being left alone.
07:53 AM
JohnDorian12 says
You honestly believe that these two would be responsible enough to hire a babysitter?? Really?? They left the baby unattended period and they should never be allowed to reproduce again!!
11:48 PM
Darwin's choice says
@wiredmamma222..................WOW!!!! Right On!!!!!
11:46 PM
eightballcuet1 says
Could it be that there was a babysitter who left when they didn't return home and left the door ajar?
11:37 PM
wiredmama222 says
Pure unadulterated slime -moldy, rat-eating, crap-snatching, coke-sniffing, bloated-bellied, pot-licking, liver-lilied, muliey-mouthed, rubber-necked, tongue-gagging,eye-bulging,ear-splintered, toe-jammed, fungus-nailed, hemorrhoid-licking, yellow-teethed, skank-sucking, donkey-lipped, finger-pressing, lame excuse for parents I have ever had the displeasure of reading about.
I hope they rot in jail and that baby gets a good home.
11:13 PM
GOP God says
Moderators have removed this comment because it contained lengthy or off-topic excerpts from other websites. Discussion Guidelines09:31 PM
Scarlett says
Good job JP!
09:05 PM
kURTje says
Sure hope this child has a future. Both parents are certified P.O.S.
08:57 PM
katelih says
The baby was in a child safety seat and the door was left open ? Why didnt the stupid couple shut the door when they left to go to the bar ? Was the door left unlocked for the BABYSITTER ? Just doesnt make any sense to me!
08:01 PM
lovepink says
i think that is sad that they left a baby home alone they schould have called a family meber to watch the 2 month old i see if it was an older kid but that was a 2 month old i hope they had found a familyh mebcer to take care of the bab
07:41 PM
ragtop66 says
Speaking as a white woman... no way! What do these idiot girls expect?
07:31 PM
bobaluey says
Moderators have removed this comment because it contained personal attacks. Discussion Guidelines06:59 PM
ntippie86 says
and who knows how long before they left the baby ate they said their was no formula probably on wic to and their is no way a two monthold ran out before the end of the month..... was she dehydrated
06:55 PM
ntippie86 says
Thats just Horrible lets put them in a diaper and strap them down and leave them for days...see how they like it...that poor baby i have three of my own it really hurts.....and the people living down stairs i know it wasnt you responsibility but if I heard a baby crying that long and here no movement up their i would of done something knock on the door then call the police something...I hope their is a family member willing to step in06:40 PM
margaritaville88 says
Tuffnutts: Agree 100% !! All that's left is thugs shooting and hoes hoing !!!
03:48 PM
Rabbi says
Informed is 100% correct. Children's services will work wit the family to develop a case plan and a child advocate will likely be appointed. Under Ohio law, the "family" has 2 years to complete a case plan in which the end goal is almost always re-unification. The problem is that the family will likely be repeat offenders at which time, (when it happens again) the process starts all over.
It's about civil rights, and due process- the system we all take for granted as law abiding citizens. Unfortunately, I see child "welfare" laws as an extension of the idea that children are chattel over which parents exercise dominion.
Personally, I beleive the standards are entirely too low all in the interest of "protecting" Civil Rights.
03:46 PM
SimpleEnough says
Mommy25, you are wrong...wrong...dead freakin wrong.03:44 PM
TuffNutts2011 says
Drug addicts should be shot dead upon their first conviction. No rehab, no jail time, nothing. They tell you from the time your a kid in grade school not to use drugs. Still some people sell their soul to the devil and use anyhow. Those people deserve nothing less than death for all they do to everyone around them and to their own children who they would sell and often do for a good amount of dope. Im sick of seeing this crap and can only hope that they overdose soon to spare the good people from having to look at them.
02:52 PM
nobodycares says
scum and scumier.................enough said
02:45 PM
FantasyFootballGuru says
Typical trailor garbage and wannabe thug baby daddy. Lock this garbage up and throw away the key.
02:34 PM
Mommy25 says
@ informed ...... Don't know if you were referring to me, but I'm not particularly blaming CPS .... I'm blaming everyone. The law makers, the voters, the parents, the parents parents, the neighbors, the friends, the dealers, the users, ME, YOU, everyone who says they care but only care enough to write a little blurb somewhere like here that doesn't count for anything. Everyone who could become a foster parent but simply refuses not to, everyone, everyone, everyone. I'm not discriminating here .... EVERYONE
02:23 PM
Informed says
Don't blame child protective services for the laws that are on the books in Ohio that require attempts at reunification and make it so hard for parents like this to lose their parental rights. Children's services only have so long they can keep a child in foster care before attempting to return the child to its parents or file for termination of parental rights. The system is a mess, there aren't enough foster homes, abusive parents are not punished severely enough. These people will most likely get this child back at some point because of the laws.
01:46 PM
ReallyGood says
awesomegeneration, my thoughts exactly. This story is seriously so heartbreaking and it gets me so upset to no end because there is only so much our state and cps can do about it. As much as we don't get it and don't understand it, these low lives have rights even after something like this and eventually cps's hands will be tied. And yes, they probably will get their child back. It makes me want to vomit
01:46 PM
meplus5 says
Seriously messed up...really, and people say to believe in god? are you kidding me...if there was such a great god then why does he/she let this go on?
01:45 PM
TBAKER1971 says
As a NEW GRAMMY myself, I would beat the crap out of my children if they ever did something so stupid, I just could not imagine that poor little baby in that car seat crying her poor little eyes out. For sure those parents are on drugs cause know one in there right mind could do that to a baby that can't defend themselves.
01:42 PM
awesomegeneration says
The officer who found the baby and immediately thought to change its diaper and look for food has my heart. also if the police heard the baby crying from downstairs then why didnt the downstairs neighbor hear this? Its awful to think of the people who would be great parents can not have kids and these 2 and others just like them have more than they can take care of or need.
01:28 PM
saved_by_grace_... says
They were probably trading the baby formula for crack. What shame!
01:16 PM
starryeyes83 says
Typical.
12:48 PM
observer says
Why in Heaven's name do young girls get mixed up with these guys? Or maybe it's the other way around. Why in Heaven's name do these guys pick up white trash?