A 2-year-old is in the hospital today recovering from injuries, along with his father, but dad's next stop will likely be a jail cell. Police in Kissimmee, Florida allege Juan Pablo Maradiagathrew his toddler off the second-floor balcony of a motel before jumping himself.
I'm glad the child is going to be OK. Considering the awful circumstances, that's really the best outcome possible. But then, the little guy never should have been in that situation. Period.
According to police, Maradiaga contacted the toddler's mother some 30 minutes before the incident and asked her to come home because he was "frustrated." The mom was at work and couldn't leave her job, leaving Dad to handle the boy.
So he didn't get help from her. He didn't have to throw the poor child off a balcony. He could have called someone else! Or taken the little boy for a walk so they could get some fresh air! Or heck, called the police and said, "I'm a little worried about my sanity right now, could you please send a safe adult to take this child off of my hands?"
If this story about the call to the mom is true, this father knew he was having trouble, had the ability to call for help, and still made the worst choice possible. Which makes it doubly hard to feel any sort of sympathy for him -- frustrated dad or not.
The thing is, I'm a mom. I get that kids are hard, and sometimes you want to tear your hair out. But there is always a better option than hurting a child. Always.
Any parent who thinks otherwise really should get away from their kids. Immediately!
The little boy, by the way, is expected to recover from his injuries while dad is expected to face an attempted murder charge when he gets out of the hospital.
What do you make of the dad's last call before the tragedy?
Image via police