LANCASTER – A Lancaster couple accused of leaving two toddlers unattended in a sweltering vehicle outside of a local welfare office have been jailed on child abuse charges, authorities said.
Brandi Mann, 30, and 42-year-old David Dillard are each charged with two felony counts of child abuse, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.
They are accused of leaving a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old in a locked vehicle for about 15 minutes during the afternoon of June 6, when temperatures were in excess of 100 degrees, according to deputy Miguel Ruiz of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station.
“The car was in the parking lot of the Department of Public Social Services off of K-6,” Ruiz said, adding that Mann and Dillard were inside the welfare office and had apparently left the toddlers unattended in the vehicle.
Witnesses contacted deputies after the 3-year-old squeezed out of one of the partially open side windows and escaped from the vehicle, Ruiz said.
“There were witnesses at the scene that said that the 3-year-old was almost struck by cars as he was wandering around in the parking lot after escaping out of the vehicle,” Ruiz said. “When deputies responded, the children were sweating profusely and showing early signs of heat exhaustion.”
The toddlers were treated at the scene and then taken into protective custody by the Department of Children and Family Services, Ruiz said.
Dillard and Mann were arrested that afternoon on suspicion of child cruelty. The pair pleaded not guilty to felony child abuse charges on Monday (June 10). Mann remains jailed on $200,000 bail, while Dillard is being held on $270,000 bail, according to jail records.
Both are due back in court on June 20 for a preliminary hearing.
“It’s never a good idea to leave children unattended in a vehicle. Aside from the heat, it’s just not safe at all,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz further explained, “This incident should serve as a reminder to the general public that children should never be left unattended in a vehicle. During these coming summer months, it is even more dangerous to leave children, elderly people, and animals unattended in a vehicle even with windows partially open. The interior of vehicles can easily reach triple digit degree temperatures in a matter of seconds. These high temperatures pose a significant danger to the health of the vehicle’s occupants.”
Anyone who witnesses these types of incidents should immediately call 9-1-1, Ruiz added.
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Nancy P says
How about giving the long time welfare recipients a 1 time offer of $200-$500 to have a tubal ligation for the girls/women or a vasectomy for the guys. In the long run, it might be worth it.
sikntired says
Great idea Nancy but you know the bleeding heart libs and the ACLU would be all over it.
Toddz says
I would suggest documenting your calls to 911 and let the video run to show no one ever showed up. Call people in the media, call the city administrator and local politicians. Let them hear the call and see no one showed. The cops are the not the ones that hand out the slaps on the wrist to these people, thats the judges doing. People that abuse kids and animals should be get the most severe punishment there is. It makes me furious reading these these kinds of stories. These people should be spay/neutered, they obviously haven’t love and common sense for their kids. It’s disgusting.
KM says
I say if you see children in this situation call the fire department….report child collapsed in locked car or burning car….they move fast!
John H says
NO! If you see a child in this situation, you break the @#$%ing windows yourself, THEN call 911.
When seconds count, help is only minutes away.
cheryl ross says
A pest control company came by the other day saying there is a big problem w/cockroaches this year in the A.V. Boy did he have it right!
Thomas says
What a useless comment. You have no facts to back up your statement. I am sure your comments are media driven.
AVcares says
The way things are going in the AV…they will get the kids back plus welfare $$$ and just a slap on the hand if that…no! no! bad parents…
Another story about the antelope valley in the waiting for eye witness news!!!
Nancy P says
Emergency housing cash…so they can go stay with friends and spend the money!
Oh wait, that never happens. lol
Tommy says
So why don’t you get out of the AV and go live where you will get some respect. lol
Kate says
How ironic they were at the dpss
nadia says
Apparently, this is normal behavior for loser parents here in the Antelope Valley. I thought there was a security cop driving around at the Welfare Office parking lot. I’m sure that the parent’s will be cut off welfare and I certainly hope the children are not given back to them. The Sheriff department needs training regarding handling these life/death situations that involve innocent children. They get paid well so must be held accountable.
I’m wondering why they were so damn stupid to think they wouldn’t get caught….oh must have been they were hi on tax dollars.
givemeabreak says
Of course they will get the children back and also get money/food stamps and section 8 housing if they don’t already…
THOSE people know how to use the system, they have been taught from generation to generation…
LRock says
I agree! It is something that happens all the time, children are placed back in dangerous situations because the courts think it will be best but it actually is the worst thing anyone can do for these victims if abuse! These POS did not value these kids lives enough to bring them in out of the heat, but a judge will allow the kids to go back so they can keep collecting aid and freeload while these kids are still abuse!
I wouldn’t be surprised if she is 2nd generation welfare leech!
AVcares says
I agree with you…
Sandra says
I agree. Children don`t have a good chance today with these neglectful parents. This happens every year. Some people just do not have common sense.
NeeNee2Three says
First off … sometimes calling 911 is a JOKE !
Back a few weeks ago, I witnessed two small children left unattended in the car, though the mom was nice to leave the windows open about 6 inches with it pouring rain outside. She was in the laundry mat doing laundry. As I was unloading my stuff, she came out, asked me “have you ever eaten at the hotdog place down there?”. This was a strip mall where the laundry mat was at one end and the hotdog place at the other end. I called the police. Told them the situation. Gave description of the kids, the mother and the car. Gave the license plate number and description of the car. “ok ma’am, we’ll send an officer right over”. It took over an HOUR to have a cruiser come. BUT, he just drove thru the parking lot, slowed down at the vehicle. Then, proceeded to drive around the lot and exited. NEVER talked to the mom or came to the car these kids were in. Are you freaking kidding me ????
Well, I told the woman myself about leaving her kids alone in the car and that I reported her. Her response to me was “you’re a bitch”. Nice huh ?
Secondly, this pair of idiots who left the little ones in the parking lot of the welfare office.. REALLY ?? You’re dumb to begin with, but even more dumb for doing it right there. They should have gotten child abandonment and attempted murder, at the least. If the older one got hit by a car, you KNOW those parents would sue that person.
Some should not breed. They are lucky these kids survived that heat.
nadia says
I know what you mean, I’ve called the Sheriff and have been told that they have more important things to do. They were needed yet I had to handle my own business risking my life against a gang of low-lifes. There is no excuse for their not doing their job because they get paid well. I will continue calling them when I see a child/children or dog in a hot car.
Don’t give up trying to help innocent children that cannot speak for themselves.
Tommy says
People are so worthless these days, nobody can ever do what needs to be done on there own, everybody wants to call someone and then get there face on the news as some kind of hero for knowing how to use a phone, and then when someone can’t drop everything and run to help they run there mouth and bad talk everyone.
Frank Rizzo says
911 is a joke in this town. I was assaulted by a gang of A hole gang members, called 911 and they said they would send someone over, a sheriff passed by I tried to wave him down and he kept going. The cops never showed up. 911 does not work, next time just bust the windows open and take the kids out of the car, its not like the police will do anything anyway, these deputies around here in the AV are lazy POS’s. Thanks 911, your a joke. Oh and don’t forget that photo Op with that gator!
B says
When you say they showed up and didnt see you and then say they didnt bother to show up, it makes you look confused? Which is it, you waived at the deuputy and he didnt see you, or they never responded? 911 dispatchers work 24 hours a day seven days a week repsonding fire, ambulance and law cakks. Once the 911 dispatcher takes the call they have no way to ensure they deputy will see while your dumb self. Please know the difference between 911 and the sheriffs department.
Briefs says
“Suspicion of child abuse”?! There should be attempted murder attached to that! Left in a hot car, one escapes and almost gets hit by passing cars?! And these are full grown adults who did this.
The system is about to fail two more children.
ijS says
So true, I agree totally, if he had no escaped this would only God know what would have happened.
cocheesie says
thank god those children were not ignored. child abuse should never be
Krsity says
Fortunately, these children were found before it was too late. I live in Lancaster, and have called 911 twice to report children having been left unattended in cars, waited over an hour both times, and the Police never showed up. Both times, the parents came to the car and left. When I confronted one mother, she told me to mind my “own f***ing business”. Another one thanked me for caring, and promised never to do it again. I got the license plate 3’s and called it into the local Sheriff’s station out here in Lancaster, both times, but was never called for any follow-up. It is a sad state that our Country is in when children who are in danger are not a priority to the Police.
NeeNee2Three says
I made a similar comment about a situation with kids being left in a car and a call to the police too. Guess it runs from state to state. It IS a shame when kids aren’t priority.
Jason says
Thats where anything can break glass comes in handy.
Ally says
i will break the glass in a second to get the kids out, they do NOT have time to be waiting for police!
Nancy P says
You and me both Ally. Kids and animals should not be left in cars. EVEN WITH THE FREAKIN WINDOW CRACKED.
I made a promise many years ago to the parents of all little kids and animals. You will have a broken window if you leave them in the car and walk away.
areyoureallythatshocked says
You shouldn’t be. Is it all that shocking that two waste of sperm and egg would leave their paychecks in a hot car unattended at a county office?…..
jenelle says
Im glad them babies are ok …
justbeingreal says
Humm at the welfare office probably getting welfare for those two children and they are left in the car. Take away the kids and the welfare.
PO'd Yank says
Don’t forget to sterilize the loser parents; they shouldn’t be allowed to reproduce again.
sikntired says
Wonderful, our tax dollars at work.How fitting it was at the welfare office.Surprising they didn’t have to bring them in with them.