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In a case that's sure to bring heightened attention to the role cops play in removing children from dangerous situations, a California community is mourning a 3-year-old today who police believe was murdered by her mom and mom's boyfriend. Kayleigh Slusher's body was shoved in a suitcase and then in a freezer before finally ending up back in her bed, where police found her on Saturday, three days after her murder ... four days after they'd been called to check on the little girl's well-being.
Sara Krueger, 23, and her boyfriend, Ryan Scott Warner, 26, have allegedly admitted to Napa police that they killed Sara's daughter last Thursday ... Thursday being the day after Wednesday, which was the day police made a welfare check at their apartment and checked on little Kayleigh after someone alleged Kreuger was using drugs and not feeding her 3-year-old.
And they left her there? They deemed her safe?
I understand the child welfare system is over-burdened, and it is not an easy thing for a cop to decide they need to call in social workers and pull a child. But when a child dies a brutal death just a day after cops said she was fine, heads have to roll.
In fact, reports are now coming to light that indicate police have been to Krueger and Warner's place some 14 times for various things, and yet it seems the child welfare agency in charge of protecting kids from abuse was never called.
Even if the cops didn't see anything in evidence, doesn't the mere fact that these calls keep coming in indicate a need to get someone with a little more experience at judging a child's safety to come in and nose around? We've all had crappy neighbors who would love nothing more than to throw us under the bus, but at some point the sheer number of calls and allegations should set off warning bells. It's not just a vendetta. It's something that needs to be investigated more thoroughly ... because a child's life is on the line.
Maybe child welfare wouldn't have yanked the girl from her home if they'd investigated; maybe they would have. But at least someone would have checked!
Unfortunately, we can't dial back time. Little Kayleigh Slusher is gone, and her mother and mom's boyfriend are facing murder charges (her biological dad is already in prison on an unrelated matter) after cops caught them trying to get out of town. Sadly, they'd been called once again to check on Kayleigh's well-being by a neighbor.
Something tells me every cop who hears this story will surely be affected ... and hopefully a bit more inclined to call child welfare when they're on the fence about doing so.
What do you think of the cops' behavior here? Is this standard procedure or should something have happened?
Image via police
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