# Father Arrested After Oklahoma Children Found Dead In Hot Vehicl



## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 15, 2020)

*Father arrested after Oklahoma children found dead in hot vehicle*





Police have arrested the father of two Oklahoma toddlers after they were found dead in a hot vehicle on Saturday. 
June 15, 2020 at 9:47 AM CDT - Updated June 15 at 9:47 AM 
TULSA, Okla. (KJRH/CNN) - A father of two young children who were found dead in a hot vehicle is facing second-degree murder charges.

KJRH reports Dustin Lee Dennis of Tulsa is being held on a $1 million bond after police say 3-year-old Ryan and 4-year-old Tegan were left inside a truck for five hours as temperatures reached 95 degrees on Saturday. Investigators said Dennis admitted to leaving them in the vehicle.

The children’s aunt, Chanteil Keys, said her family is devastated over the tragic loss.

“All I wish is my sister had been able to see them just one more time before it had happened," Keys said.

Experts say on a day as hot as Saturday, even 30 minutes inside the vehicle could lead to serious consequences.

“After about an hour, I think, on a 90-degree day, it can get up to 119 degrees inside," Matthew Arroyo with the Emergency Medical Services Authority said.

Keys hopes that the story of her family’s tragic loss will remind others not to leave their children in their vehicles.

“It is a 100-percent preventable thing that never has to happen," Keys said. "Always check your back seat.”


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## lavaflow99 (Jun 15, 2020)

This ain't no accident.  A 3 and 4 year old?

Yeah this is a murderer.  

RIP.


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## BrickbyBrick (Jun 15, 2020)

Short of him having his own medical emergency, like a stroke or a heart attack, he can go straight to jail. 5 hours???? Nope.


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## Sosoothing (Jun 15, 2020)

I think they said there's footage showing the kids went into the truck after dad laid down for a nap. Unless I'm confusing this with another story. 
Even then someone should have been watching them.


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## Theresamonet (Jun 15, 2020)

Sosoothing said:


> I think they said there's footage showing the kids went into the truck after dad laid down for a nap. Unless I'm confusing this with another story.
> Even then someone should have been watching them.



This is the same story. According to the DA, there’s footage from a neighbors surveillance showing that the kids got in the truck on their own. Who goes to sleep for 5 hours and leaves two toddlers unattended though? I wonder if he was under the influence of something.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 16, 2020)

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/16/us/tulsa-hot-truck-deaths-accident/index.html

The kids did get in on their own.

I know a lot of night shift workers will go to sleep while their small kids are still awake and walking around. I had a woman describe how her 3 year old walked up and down the street while she was asleep and she punished him when she found him. I was like, it was your fault tho?? He’s 3.


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## Kanky (Jun 16, 2020)

So child neglect charges instead? This story reminds of me of the one where the toddler went outside and froze to death in the middle of the night. People with young kids need door alarms.


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## Kanky (Jun 16, 2020)

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/16/us/tulsa-hot-truck-deaths-accident/index.html
> 
> The kids did get in on their own.
> 
> I know a lot of night shift workers will go to sleep while their small kids are still awake and walking around. I had a woman describe how her 3 year old walked up and down the street while she was asleep and she punished him when she found him. I was like, it was your fault tho?? He’s 3.


It doesn’t cost that much to hire a babysitter. She should be ashamed.


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## danniegirl (Jun 16, 2020)

Stuff like this make me believe in evil spirits.

I went to school with a lady who's toddler left her apartment and went to the roof and "fell" off

Another girl that lived in my area  toddler fount matches and burned him and his baby brother 

The father was released but he probably putting himself in some sort of mental prison


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## Theresamonet (Jun 17, 2020)

Evil spirits... or poor parental supervision??


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## lavaflow99 (Jun 17, 2020)

Theresamonet said:


> Evil spirits... or poor parental supervision??



Right?

Kids are going to kid.  But parents need to parent.


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## naturalgyrl5199 (Jun 17, 2020)

Theresamonet said:


> This is the same story. According to the DA, there’s footage from a neighbors surveillance showing that the kids got in the truck on their own. Who goes to sleep for 5 hours and leaves two toddlers unattended though? I wonder if he was under the influence of something.


I almost divorced my husband last month. I mean he is the most loving guy. Hands on dad to our girls....I almost put my hands on him. He was admittedly tired. Super tired and fell asleep while he was home with my 6 and 2 year old and I was working at the office. Literally sleep in a coma on the couch. He didn't even see the problem, and was sure they were safe. He hasn't done it since...but I tried to get him to understand how quickly things can change. Our 2 YO gets into everything. And she has injured herself falling off stuff, slipping and falling bc he lets her run around. I really believe that men have no sense of urgency about these things. Had one of my children been hurt or injured or died,, I already know I probably would throw all his loving ways out the door. I try to get people to understand...you only get ONE chance with kids...You don't have to hover but you need to watch. 
If this was truly an accident with this guy, then that is so sad, it was super preventable, and its a horrible loss. Its not easy bringing a child into this world.


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## naturalgyrl5199 (Jun 17, 2020)

lavaflow99 said:


> Right?
> 
> Kids are going to kid.  *But parents need to parent.*


This. See my post upthread. 

Right now, he and I have been sleeping poorly, our kids sleeping poorly. We have them on a schedule and its not working. But its really just this COVID-19 thing. We are essential so we are burning both ends. However, if I get over tired, I can call off. So can he. We pay extra to send the 6 YO to her day care (her old VPK and Kindergarten buddies are attending there as well) with her 2 YO sister. But weekends are a blur sometimes---well until recently. 

But for real, I almost threw my WHOLE 13 yr marriage away. He also knows I would kill him in his sleep about our kids. I wouldn't even blink. 

OTOH----our society has TOO MANY distractions. We worship multitasking and over production, and being "booked and busy." Quality in work and parenting has suffered. Parents still zoning out with video games and SM. Putting their health on the back burner. Employers getting greedier and greedier with their staff's time. Its really ridiculous. When I'm home my husband has been passing out on the couch for 2-3 hours straight. His work load is ridiculous. But fortunately, my kids are NOT explorers and they don't be trying to leave the house on their own. But it doesn't mean the little one can't climb on something or get herself stuck somewhere in the house. I don't even leave the washer and and dryer doors open. I child proof everything. Cause kids gonna be kids. And I don't expect them to have the understanding I do.


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## Ganjababy (Jun 17, 2020)

This reminds me of when I lived in MD and there was a family who moved from a hot state with no snow to MD and their 4 or 5 year old woke early while everyone was asleep and went outside to play in the snow and froze to death.


There is a documentary on amazon about parents whose children died due to the parents accidental negligence. It was so sad. I do feel that many (not all) of these parents already have their just punishment through grief they are experiencing from the loss of their children. 

There was a young black couple in the amazon documentary who went to church and forgot their baby in the car and the baby died. It was so tragic. They were arguing and the wife walked away and left husband and baby. Husband did not realize wife had left baby in car and assumed wife took baby to church nursery. They spent the whole service cutting eyes at each other while baby was dying in the car. It was sooo tragic. Their marriage survived. He took the blame but I think he did not serve any jail time. I don’t think my marriage could survive that. Theirs did. They had another baby if I remember correctly.


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## lavaflow99 (Jun 17, 2020)

naturalgyrl5199 said:


> I almost divorced my husband last month. I mean he is the most loving guy. Hands on dad to our girls....I almost put my hands on him. He was admittedly tired. Super tired and fell asleep while he was home with my 6 and 2 year old and I was working at the office. Literally sleep in a coma on the couch. He didn't even see the problem, and was sure they were safe. He hasn't done it since...but I tried to get him to understand how quickly things can change. Our 2 YO gets into everything. And she has injured herself falling off stuff, slipping and falling bc he lets her run around. I really believe that men have no sense of urgency about these things. Had one of my children been hurt or injured or died,, I already know I probably would throw all his loving ways out the door. I try to get people to understand...you only get ONE chance with kids...You don't have to hover but you need to watch.
> If this was truly an accident with this guy, then that is so sad, *it was super preventable,* and its a horrible loss. Its not easy bringing a child into this world.



Absolutely!  Shouldn't have happened.

I'm not a parent but I thought off hand several checks and balances right now.

1.  Always keeping car doors locked (who doesn't do this already?  I do this with no kids and I keep my car in my garage) 
2.  Child locks on the front door and garage door (any door that leads to outside).  Isn't this standard recommendation for any home with kids?  How the heck did a 3 and 4 year old make it outside?

Even if I had fallen asleep and my kids were running around the house, they wouldn't have gotten into my car and died.  I would just have to worry about them hurting themselves in the house  (which would be child proofed).

He still needs to be charged for neglect or something.  I know he's already suffering from the loss but can't let him slide.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 17, 2020)

naturalgyrl5199 said:


> This. See my post upthread.
> 
> Right now, he and I have been sleeping poorly, our kids sleeping poorly. We have them on a schedule and its not working. But its really just this COVID-19 thing. We are essential so we are burning both ends. However, if I get over tired, I can call off. So can he. We pay extra to send the 6 YO to her day care (her old VPK and Kindergarten buddies are attending there as well) with her 2 YO sister. But weekends are a blur sometimes---well until recently.
> 
> ...


My kids wandering off has been a deep fear of mine. I was so glad when we got an alarm system that emitted a tone when the doors or windows open. My youngest is especially likely to get up to no good, even at the age of 7. 

I was one of those kids who was always into something I should’nt have been, so I know how easily they can get into trouble.


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## Reinventing21 (Jun 18, 2020)

I was ready to be enraged about hearing about more kids dying in a car,  but...if he was not under the influence of something and has no record of abuse and the kids got in the car themselves, then I feel for him although if I were the mom...

Why could I feel some empathy ?

Because parent fatigue is real. I watched my kid like a hawk and I was always very energetic. But! One time a fatigue came over me that was so powerful that I told my toddlerish child that I was sorry , mommy is tired, please just go play or watch tv. I remember my kid telling me 'okay', I felt guilty for laying down, but I was exhausted to the point of practically passing out and it was so sudden. Luckily my kid found the tv and some toys entertaining enough.

I did not sleep for five hours though...so that does make me wonder...but he had two toddlerish kids tho...so maybe he was truly tired.

I, OTOH, was one of those kids that felt grown even as a toddler lol. I up and left my babysitter's apartment to head back to my own cuz I wanted a cookie or something. OMG, the babystter was of course hysterical because she didn't know where I'd gone. She never wanted to babysit me again. I don't blame her.

My mom was young, energetic and watched me like a hawk, but it only took one breath, one second of distraction for me to decide I had a different agenda. When I was older another adult found a way to teach me a lesson about wandering off tho. 

That said, it needs to become standard/the norm that parents install door alarms etc., to further reduce this risk.

I have to say again as stated above by another poster, if I were the mom...omg.


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## Ganjababy (Jun 18, 2020)

You reminded me of one time I babysat my friends 4 year old. I took her shopping with me and she decided to run off into the crowd of people playing hide and seek. I nearly died from fright. It was a crowded Saturday with people shopping. Crowded. On a street. And this lil gal decided to play hide and seek in a crowd of people. I could not get her to stop or catch up with her. She kept disappearing behind people and light posts. I don’t think it was more than 15 minutes but it felt like hours. By the time I did catch her I was in tears and in a panic. She thought it was funny. 

I told her mom I would never, ever babysit that little terrorist again. Even her mom was alarmed and told me I should have beaten her lol. That lil terror never had a beating in her life. Her mom was so upset she slapped her for the first time and gave her time out after explaining to her why she was a bad girl. 



Reinventing21 said:


> I was ready to be enraged about hearing about more kids dying in a car,  but...if he was not under the influence of something and has no record of abuse and the kids got in the car themselves, then I feel for him although if I were the mom...
> 
> Why could I feel some empathy ?
> 
> ...


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## discodumpling (Jun 18, 2020)

Sounds like meth. Who leaves kids under 5 unsupervised for 5 hrs? Thats dang near a full shift at a job!  Some people dont deserve to be parents.


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## dicapr (Jun 18, 2020)

discodumpling said:


> Sounds like meth. Who leaves kids under 5 unsupervised for 5 hrs? Thats dang near a full shift at a job!  Some people dont deserve to be parents.



Not necessarily. Not defending him but people can underestimate exhaustion and the fact that after a certain point your body gives out.

I know that when I was commuting an hour back and forth to work and working 13 hour shifts it pushed me to my limit.

One day I woke up after a shift fully dressed except for one shoe.  I remember trying to get undressed to get in the bed and it just didn’t happen. My body took over and I was out. People tend to overestimate how far they can push themselves and when they do it results in disaster. To this day I think of how I could have killed someone driving home that day. I nodded off at a stop light and fell out within minutes of making it in the house. It could have gone terribly wrong because I was pushing myself too hard.

ETA: I no longer commute and live 15 minutes from work. Also took a job with a 40 hour work week no weekends no holidays. I learned my lesson. No more trying to function chronically sleep deprived!


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## Reinventing21 (Jun 18, 2020)

Omg @Ganjababy I would never have wanted to babysit that "little terrorist" again either! I know that was scary!


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## NaturalEnigma (Jun 27, 2020)

Theresamonet said:


> This is the same story. According to the DA, there’s footage from a neighbors surveillance showing that the kids got in the truck on their own. Who goes to sleep for 5 hours and leaves two toddlers unattended though? I wonder if he was under the influence of something.



A 3 and a 4 year old? I'm surprised they couldn't find their way out. My nephew whose 2 would have been able to open the door and get out. If they could get in the car why couldn't they get out. And once they went in the car and found out how hot it was wouldn't they have wanted to come right out. There are times I open my car door and I feel the intense heat from the inside and have to open up some windows to let some air in before I can sit down.  Things that make you go hmmmm. The father killed those kids.


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## Leeda.the.Paladin (Jun 27, 2020)

NaturalEnigma said:


> A 3 and a 4 year old? I'm surprised they couldn't find their way out. My nephew whose 2 would have been able to open the door and get out. If they could get in the car why couldn't they get out. And once they went in the car and found out how hot it was wouldn't they have wanted to come right out. There are times I open my car door and I feel the intense heat from the inside and have to open up some windows to let some air in before I can sit down.  Things that make you go hmmmm. The father killed those kids.


At that age my kids struggled if the child locks were engaged


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## Theresamonet (Jun 27, 2020)

NaturalEnigma said:


> A 3 and a 4 year old? I'm surprised they couldn't find their way out. My nephew whose 2 would have been able to open the door and get out. If they could get in the car why couldn't they get out. And once they went in the car and found out how hot it was wouldn't they have wanted to come right out. There are times I open my car door and I feel the intense heat from the inside and have to open up some windows to let some air in before I can sit down.  Things that make you go hmmmm. The father killed those kids.


 
Child safety locks, I presume. They may have gotten in through the front, climbed in the back, and didn’t think to climb back to the front to get out... who knows... they’re babies. Your 2 year old nephew may know how to open a car door, but you don’t know what he will do if he’s stuck, panicked, and probably already feeling the effects of heat exhaustion. 

With the video evidence that the kids got in alone, I think this could certainly have been a very deadly mistake on the fathers part. But I don’t put anything past anyone, so I’d like to see evidence, somehow, that he was actually sleep all of that time, and didn’t see that the kids had gotten into the car, and took it as an opportunity to get rid of them.


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## dancinstallion (Jun 27, 2020)

Theresamonet said:


> Child safety locks, I presume. They may have gotten in through the front, climbed in the back, and didn’t think to climb back to the front to get out... who knows... they’re babies. Your 2 year old nephew may know how to open a car door, but you don’t know what he will do if he’s stuck, panicked, and probably already feeling the effects of heat exhaustion.
> 
> With the video evidence that the kids got in alone, I think this could certainly have been a very deadly mistake on the fathers part. But I don’t put anything past anyone, so I’d like to see evidence, somehow, that he was actually sleep all of that time, and didn’t see that the kids had gotten into the car, and took it as an opportunity to get rid of them.



Exactly 
He could have told the kids to go get in the car and they did.


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## NaturalEnigma (Jun 27, 2020)

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> At that age my kids struggled if the child locks were engaged





Theresamonet said:


> Child safety locks, I presume. They may have gotten in through the front, climbed in the back, and didn’t think to climb back to the front to get out... who knows... they’re babies. Your 2 year old nephew may know how to open a car door, but you don’t know what he will do if he’s stuck, panicked, and probably already feeling the effects of heat exhaustion.
> 
> With the video evidence that the kids got in alone, I think this could certainly have been a very deadly mistake on the fathers part. But I don’t put anything past anyone, so I’d like to see evidence, somehow, that he was actually sleep all of that time, and didn’t see that the kids had gotten into the car, and took it as an opportunity to get rid of them.




It’s very possible but my spidey senses are tiggling with this story, there are too many unanswered questions.  It reminds me of the story about the wife that got stabbed by the “beggar” asking for money while her husband was driving beside her. It sounds suspect.


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## Theresamonet (Jun 28, 2020)

NaturalEnigma said:


> It’s very possible but my spidey senses are tiggling with this story, there are too many unanswered questions.  It reminds me of the story about the wife that got stabbed by the “beggar” asking for money while her husband was driving beside her. It sounds suspect.



I agree. I’ve definitely thought of what @dancinstallion stated above: what if he told them to go get in the car? Video of them getting in alone doesn’t prove that he didn’t orchestrate this situation.


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## Reinventing21 (Jun 28, 2020)

That ^^is a horrifying possible plot twist. He could have threatened them not to have come out too. If anything went down like that, then I pray it is discovered STAT and he goes under the jail for life.


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## naturalgyrl5199 (Jun 29, 2020)

Leeda.the.Paladin said:


> My kids wandering off has been a deep fear of mine. I was so glad when we got an alarm system that emitted a tone when the doors or windows open. My youngest is especially likely to get up to no good, even at the age of 7.
> 
> I was one of those kids who was always into something I should’nt have been, so I know how easily they can get into trouble.


I remember when this crunchy mom thing reached a peak 4-5 years ago and people were calling themselves anti-child harness or child-leash or whatever. I doubled down...I started babywearing but I remember having a breastfeeding event that I put on for my job-at a park. It was a walk. we had bought her a leash with a stuffed owl backpack, and when we did the walk part of the event, I had to MC so he put her in the stroller, but had her on the leash. She enjoyed it. I felt weird with it and put her on my back for the rest of the event. Then I remember throwing this Chinese guy out of the event for taking pictures of the kids. I mean I already had police there so it was easy. Mind you these are babies and toddlers, maybe the oldest is 3. So I was livid. You think I felt some kind of way about leashing my kid or having her on my back? Naw sis.
Now things are changing and people are getting okay with leashes again. And I'm glad. My sister was a wanderer and I remember going in full on panic mode when I lost her in the store for like 15 minutes. I was 10-11 myself. I can now imagine as a parent. It only takes a second. I don't even care if people call me new age, too old school. Call me names, but my babies are mine.


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