Kids, alone, wander off while Mom has sex

[Hum]

NEW PORT RICHEY - A New Port Richey mother admitted to police she left three kids home alone -- one as young as ten months old -- while she went to a neighbor's house for sex.

The Pasco County Sheriff's Office says while Crystal Rusaw was out, the kids wandered from the house, up the street, and crossed a busy highway.

Investigators say a witness may have saved their lives by stopping them and getting help.

The kids range in age from four years to ten months. Investigators say the youngest was only wearing a urine-filled diaper.

Rusaw later admitted to leaving the kids to go to a neighbor's house for sex, where she also fell asleep.

"It could have been tragic," said Joan Miller, who was almost brought to tears when she learned what happened. "It's just unbelievable."

Other neighbors weren't surprised by the arrest, saying they have seen the children playing in the street by themselves 'all the time.'

"I just see toys, and little kids always running and walking, and riding bicycles unsupervised down the street," says William Gray who lives down the street.

Deputies arrested Rusaw on Saturday. She has since bonded out of jail. Nobody appeared to be at her home Monday evening.

ABC Action News spoke briefly to Rusaw's boyfriend off-camera. He said he was out of town all last week and found out what happened when he returned.

He tells us the children are staying with a relative.

source

[Richteralan]

Only in Flo.....o wait

[Hum]

I guess she didn't have enuff kids yet. :s

[Buttus]

shouldn't that be EX-boyfriend since he was out of town?

[DocM]

Maybe they're swingers?

Whatever - put her in jail, take the kids & clip her tubes.

[tiagosilva29]

But was the sex any good?

[McKay]

Classy girl.

[Hum]

But was the sex any good?

Video at 11

[Noir Angel]

Dumb. Just invite him around to her place :laugh:

[remixedcat]

Maybe they're swingers?

Whatever - put her in jail, take the kids & clip her tubes.

they'll take good care of her in jail... LOL

[bjoswald]

Wow, must be one hung neighbor to ditch the kids like that. Unless they're brats.

[moloko]

yeah why not just bring the guy to her house.

[remixedcat]

his house is prolly better then hers... LOL

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Whatever - put her in jail, take the kids & clip her tubes.

What's the harm done? Nobody's got hurt, haven't they? So why put her in jail?

Counselling and monthly check-ups by the children's department should be enough imho. It will cost the system (tax-payers) less and the family won't be ripped apart.

[DocM]

What's the harm done? Nobody's got hurt, haven't they? So why put her in jail?

>

In Michigan.child neglect is a crime and we're very tough on it. If the kid is 7-17 there is some flexibility, with penalties ranging from a few months to several years in prison. If the kid is 6 or under it's an automatic felony and you're in deep doo-doo with sentences up to 10 years.

[Xilo]

Those kids are pretty dumb as well...

[DocM]

With few exceptions a student is only as good as their teachers, and your first teacher is your mother.

[astropheed Veteran]

What's the harm done? Nobody's got hurt, haven't they? So why put her in jail?

Counselling and monthly check-ups by the children's department should be enough imho. It will cost the system (tax-payers) less and the family won't be ripped apart.

No harm done yet, why allow the potential to exist? She should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Terrible.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

In Michigan.child neglect is a crime and we're very tough on it. If the kid is 7-17 there is some flexibility, with penalties ranging from a few months to several years in prison. If the kid is 6 or under it's an automatic felony and you're in deep doo-doo with sentences up to 10 years.

Yeah, you can't leave kids below 12 home alone in Canada either. But, what at stake in Canada is one's parental rights, the custody, not a jail term.

No harm done yet, why allow the potential to exist? She should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Terrible.

Arresting people for the crimes they haven't commited yet...I saw it in Minority Report. It was a good movie :)

[Shiranui]

Whatever - put her in jail, take the kids & clip her tubes.

I admire your efficiency.

[techbeck]

That chick has crazy eyes.

[theyarecomingforyou]

In Michigan.child neglect is a crime and we're very tough on it. If the kid is 7-17 there is some flexibility, with penalties ranging from a few months to several years in prison. If the kid is 6 or under it's an automatic felony and you're in deep doo-doo with sentences up to 10 years.

A prison sentence isn't of any benefit to society. If this was the first time anything like this occurred then it should be treated like the lapse of judgement it was - potentially it could have been worse but it wasn't. When I was a child my younger brother managed to walk out into the road despite my mother being at home; thankfully a neighbour spotted him and there was no harm but obviously it could have ended in tragedy. These things happen and thankfully most of the time no harm is done. If it was a repeat offence then it's an entirely different matter but again short of physically abusing her children a prison sentence is almost certainly not a good way to go.

Prison just isn't appropriate. It's damaging to the kids, it's hugely wasteful to tax payers, it's overly intrusive and it doesn't serve any form of rehabilitation, as I'm sure she already regrets her actions. It would be far better to assign a social worker to the children to monitor their home environment - if there is cause for concern then action can be taken; if not then at least due diligence was served.

[Shiranui]

Those kids are pretty dumb as well...

I thought so too. I can't imagine my 5-year-old son would just go wandering off down the street.

He would probably send me a viber message from his ipod.

[Original Poster]

punish the mother to much and you will end up punishing the kids... who says on the whole she is not a good mother? one of my fav quotes from fiction "thou who has not sinned throw the first stone" (may have paraphrased)

[Growled Member]

Things like this have happened since time immortal. Crap happens.