Woman arrested for leaving children alone in hot car
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| Faulkison [FCPD] |
A 26-year-old Falls Church woman is facing felony charges for leaving her three young children in a hot car earlier this week, the Fairfax County Police Department reports.
Police were called to the 5600 block of Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads at around 2 p.m. on Oct. 3 for a report of three young children locked in an unattended vehicle in a business center parking lot. Officers found the children, ages 5, 6, and 7, suffering from heat exhaustion inside the vehicle. The interior temperature reached as high as 150 degrees.
The children’s mother, Alexa Faulkison, had brought them to work with her and left them in the car because she did not want to take them inside her workplace.
The children were in the vehicle for at least 45 minutes. One child punched a hole through a taped-up window in order to get air into the car.
The police accompanied Faulkison to the hospital, along with Child Protective Services. Faulkison is now facing three counts of felony cruelty to a child. The children were left with their step-father.
FCPS reminds the public that even though it’s October, it is still dangerous to leave kids in a hot car. Leaving children in an unattended vehicle is never a good idea, but is particularly dangerous when it is warm and sunny out. Even with the windows slightly open, the temperature in a car on a 93-degree day can soar to 125 degrees in just 20 minutes and 140 degrees in 40 minutes.
12 responses to “Woman arrested for leaving children alone in hot car”
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Children were left with stepfather? The mother could not properly care for them — what are the chances the stepfather can? I fear for the kids.
What a mess, do they all seem to gravitate to Mason.
Just stop it. I'm tired of all the Mason bashing on this site. Even if it were true, I'd still by fed up with all the whining. What have you done for us lately?
Mason District: love it or leave it; live with it or zip it!
Those children should have been in school.
Anonymous 10/5 9:54PM: until leadership gets their heads out of the sand I will keep pounding on the foolishness and poor leadership in Fairfax County and Mason District. Those who remain quiet allow incompetence to rise to the top, i.e. just look at the republicans and the who we have for president. But I guess that is all fake news!
8:46: I don't disagree that silence only contributes to the problem, but chanting the same tired mantra on a small local blog (wonderful as this one is) isn't going to accomplish anything. I'm very sure that I'm not the only regular reader who's grown sick of it. You're not contributing to an actual conversation or motivating people to take action. Consider advocating in the real world or even running for an office yourself, but know that if you're going to take on the "fake news" cliche, about half the population will tune you out instantly!
Repetition and redundancy lead to recurrent litanies that echo interminably in perseveration, if you get my drift.
Anon 10/7/17, 12:18: Unfortunately 20 years of surgical destruction by the existing leadership would probably take 40 years to undo, and I simply don't have the time left in my life to fill the black hole created with new oxygen. My only hope is that I can afford to get out of here at some point with the rest of the middle class that is fleeing. This has become an area of the well healed-sleepy hollow, lake barcroft, etc, and a declining middle class and a burgeoning lower/under class – Culmore, Wilston, Baileys etc. Much of this has been caused by the lack of development investment, a leader unskilled to reign in NIMBY's, a lack of progressive urban leadership skills, a lack of ability to gain consensus due to disengagement with constituents, an arrogance to bring in professionals where needed, and what I believe is a misguided altruistic mindset to continue to create a sanctuary for the undocumented underclass. The problem is that because the middle class is fleeing, and the schools are declining to maintain and encourage a wealthier tax base: the ability to support this misguided policy is going to come to a halting screech. The County lacks resiliency and this current folly is just not sustainable. FCPS's and Social Services unprecedented expanding financial demands with no end in near is symptomatic that local government has lost control. The surrounding areas are thriving (DC, Alexandria and Arlington )because they have taken a more practical and sympbiotic approach into advancing new development, better understanding/distribution/adaptation of demographics, business friendly policies, progressive mass transit options, and a youthful leadership that has its pulse on current trends, etc. Fairfax has the highest commercial vacancy in the metro area. That is a sad metric to show in what is now a booming economy. And that my friend belays fault with Sharon Bulova and Penny Gross; and the way the County is organized amongst 9 dysfunctional districts that vary dramatically in their economic health and quality of life. I suggest that you, if you are younger take on this retirement machine that is sending Farifax County straight to its grave.
Okay; that's more like it–an actual account of your thoughts, opinions, and feelings! Thank you!
Suffice it to say that I see things from a different perspective; I have lived in this area for the vast majority of my almost-50 years, and though I do see its flaws, I don't believe they're as tremendously disastrous as you do–and I still see many assets, too.
I hope that you are indeed able to leave here ASAP (though considering the cost of living in Fairfax Co., finding affordable living elsewhere shouldn't be such a hindrance) and that you enjoy yourself wherever you may end up. Good luck.
Oh for God's sake, how does this still happen in this day of awareness regarding heat in closed vehicles? And why wasn't her 7 year old in 2nd grade, her 5 year old in kindergarten, and the 3 year old with a responsible caregiver on a school day? Take her kids away and give them a chance to grow up with someone with the skills and sense of responsibility to be a parent. They are young enough that they may yet have a chance. (Sorry for useless rant but that felt good for a moment).
She has a 5,6,7 year old. My guess from 3 different fathers. All three could have been in school. My question is why were they not in school and why is the step father an appropriate person. I just checked all area public local school and they were all open. There is more to this story. A lot of fishiness. This kids do not have a chance where they are now. Many people would give them a great home.
I agree that this is a terrible incident, but to automatically assume that the children all come from three different fathers, that the stepfather isn't fit to give them better care, and they would be better off in a foster home are three big leaps in logic.
A lot of speculation going on here. There are many wonderful stepparents and many rotten parents. Without additional info., you should not assume the worst about the stepfather. And, thank goodness the children are currently fine. This could have been a true tragedy.