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Woman Goes On Bowling Date, Leaves 9-Month Old Home Alone
May 24, 2011
Deputies say an Escambia County woman left her nine-month old son home alone while she went on a date at a local bowling alley.
Leah June Rabon, 20, was arrested late Monday night for cruelty towards a child and child neglect, after leaving her child unattended at her apartment for over two hours.
At around 9:41 Monday night, Deputies responded to Rabon’s apartment after receiving an anonymous tip that the child may have been left alone.
Responding deputies were able to track down Rabon’s cell phone number and successfully contacted her. She confirmed that her son was inside the residence without supervision.
“Once we determined that an infant was inside the apartment we made a forced entry into the unit,” said Deputy Chris Welborn. “We found the baby asleep in his bedroom and, thankfully, he was healthy.”
Once Rabon returned to her residence she was arrested, telling deputies that she had left her son to go on a date. She said she had been away for around two hours.
The Florida Department of Children and Family services responded and placed the child into the custody of maternal grandparents. Rabon was booked into the Escambia County Jail and held without bond.
Comments
59 Responses to “Woman Goes On Bowling Date, Leaves 9-Month Old Home Alone”
REGARDING:
“as a young mother I spent many nights at home with my child while her father lived his life going out with friends and on dates”
Pick potential spouses carefully. They will raise your children–or they won’t. Your children will have some of their characteristics.
I once read women wanted to marry men smarter than they are but to date men dumber than they are. Only problem was that women tend to marry people they dated. Implied result is that each generation of women will marry dumber and dumber men.
Don’t expect them to change upon marriage. They are at their best when you first meet them.
Many have abandoned the concept of marriage since government will take care of them and their children if they don’t marry, so they don’t bother to marry anyone, just have children off of their dates. For result see above.
David in a declining world
that knows how to party
Would love to know where the father of the child was during all of this. What this woman did was inexcusable but as a young mother I spent many nights at home with my child while her father lived his life going out with friends and on dates. It is a shame that more young dads aren’t sharing the responsibilty of their children.
REGARDING:
“The woman is 20 years old and living on her own, how is this in any way the parents fault. Yes I’m sure that taught her right from wrong as she was growing up, however that cannot force their morals on her”
You’re right, of course. We are each responsible for what we do or don’t do. We don’t actually know what her parents tried to teach her or how they tried to teach it. We can reasonably suspect there may have been a breakdown somewhere, but they may have done everything flawlessly and she simply believed a few frames weren’t all that dangerous to leave the helpless child alone.
Nonetheless, the idea of placing at least some of the responsibility at the feet of the parents comes from the old saw, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” We see some rebelling against what they saw and were taught while growing up but more often we see them saying, “It’s good enough for Mama and Daddy, so it’s good enough for me.”
It’d be easy to say, “She’s an adult; it’s all on her.” It’d also be easy to blame whoever grabbed the chance to impregnate her. (Note: If 19 out of 20 declined the opportunity to impregnate–unlikely, the lady would likely latch onto the twentieth if in the mood.)
It all works together: willing partners, alternative morals, biological drives, limited planning, opportunities, love for bowling.
Pray for the child and the child’s child. If nothing else, it’ll make you feel better. And every chance you get, see if you can bend the twig in a favorable direction. It all adds up.
David for changes in direction
I see there is another dad on here. Didn’t know we could use the same names. Makes it hard to keep up with who said what.
I’m not going to defend her like the other dad did. I think she was wrong. Period.
t2…you provide an excellent example in demonstrating how life-changing adversities can either crumble you or make you stronger….fortunately, you chose the later…i must say that your inner strength and core values are to be admired..hats off to you!
in response to joe…..i dont think that we need to say this girl has a mental problem. that is what is wrong. we have too many people claiming mental status for the reasons they do the things they do. She knew what she was doing…..she just though more of what she was wanting to do than her child. dont let her off that easy saying she has a mental disability.
wow!!! i have known this girl and her family for a long time…she was not brought up to act like this!! geese leah i hope you get yaself together soon!!!
I personally have had a very bad childhood inwhich unmentionable things happened to me. That is no excuse. I was a step mom at age 19, had my first child at age 22. I have never put them after myself. I had enough sense to know that the moment I turned 18 I was an adult and what my real father and his family did to me didnt matter. I was to protect my children with everything I had. They are my gift from God, not just a pet. And they have never been a reason to not work and just get governement aid. And if you make the child, support the child, raise the child. And if you cannot, then give that child to someone who can.
@a concerned grandmother.. Your comment is on point.. We the taxpayers will shoulder the burden of this child’s care at least until it is an adult and probably longer.. You mentioned the word normal.. It is true that a lot of people now accept all these programs as normal and start having babies and apply for all the aid they can get.. In the checkout line at the grocery store, I almost always see someone paying with WIC vouchers or the red and blue card, and almost always, they have small children with them and another on the way.. They stand there talking (probably to their boyfriends) on their cell phones as the checkout is completed.. This mess cannot continue, because it won’t be long until the people that pay tax will be so far outnumbered by the people on welfare that we will no longer be able to pay for it..
another bowling career ending so suddenly..will it ever stop
David Green:
Got a point. The more children the more government aid. It is a burden on the tax payer.
She was old enough to know what she was doing. She is considered an adult in society. Twenty years old is not too young to raise a child. However, if she is using government aid, i.e. WIC / food stamps, or depending on her parents, and has the child out of wedlock, she is not responsible and doesn’t deserve the child. For some odd reason, society seems to think this is “normal”. People need to be responsible for their own actions,
There is more to this young womans childhood than anyone knows…….why do you think she left home on the first place. i think she needs some help…and it goes a long way back. She is a good, sweet, kind young woman, but she suffered through her childhood with some issues that i think she needs to talk to someone about. It’s a tragedy that the baby was left alone and i hope we do hear what she has to say. i think a lot of people are going to realize that this girl has been through a lot over her younger years….
Most likely shell get away with a slap on the wrist …
Amen to WHAT!!!! AMEN
Unfortunately I see a pattern developing here. Some on this forum are quick to blame this woman’s parents for the way she is now. The woman is 20 years old and living on her own, how is this in any way the parents fault. Yes I’m sure that taught her right from wrong as she was growing up, however that cannot force their morals on here. She has a mind of her own and can think for herself, though not very logically it would appear. But to blame the parents is just plain ludicrous.
ws-there is NO side to her story, she was gone, the child was left alone, he was found ALONE…end of story. Makes me wonder what she did with him when she went to work everyday
WOW – Ok I had a baby @ 18 and it was hard as I wanted to go out on dates. etc…but heck there are people out there “Family/Friends” that could watch the child….Never Ever Leave a Baby, toddler, child home alone….Children die in fires, falling out of windows, out of beds, etc….. I think Leah needs the option to give the baby up and have monitored visitaions only ….If she ever gets out.
Everyone here seems quick to judge, this young girl. Remember desperate people do what they can to survive. I wonder if the nosey neighbor was willing to watch the baby. Please remember there are always two sides to every story, and you haven’t heard from her side yet.
^^^Seriously? She left a defensive less, helpless baby to go bowling. How does going bowling in anyway contribute to your survival. She wasn’t at work, and she must not have been too desperate to have money to waste on a bowling trip. I don’t need her side of the story, nothing validates leaving a helpless child to fend for itself.
OMG! How stupid can you be? Thank goodness someone cared enough to make the call. As stated previously probably not the first time and certainly would not have been the last time if she had not gotten caught.
Thank goodness not all 20 year old’s are that dumb. Bless that little child. I hope the mother gets her life and priorities together for her sake and the child’s sake.
Everyone here seems quick to judge, this young girl. Remember desperate people do what they can to survive. I wonder if the nosey neighbor was willing to watch the baby. Please remember there are always two sides to every story, and you haven’t heard from her side yet.
“The Florida Department of Children and Family services responded and placed the child into the custody of maternal grandparents.”
So……………………………………………. how smart is it to hand the child over to the people that raised the neglectful child it was taken away from?
How’s she gonna have more children if you keep interfering with her dates?
David wondering
It’s people like that who give Bowling a bad name!
This isn’t a case about the mother being too young to care for a child but more about her having the wrong priorities. When you have a child you have to make sacrifices and if you aren’t willing to make those sacrifices than don’t have kids.
The truth is : HRS/DCF (whatever they’re called these days) is going to put the baby back with this Rabon! Sometimes I just don’t understand it (this is one of those cases), but unless Rabon just refuses to participate with the plan that will be set up, she will get this defenseless baby back. SOON!!!!
@jcellop: It appears from the a search of court records that she has a TRO against the father of the child.
All behavior is learned, she should have learned better!
wonder if the childs father is a responsible parent- enough to assume custody, that is…according to court records there is a father in the picture.
wow…cant say what i want but no this girl isnt insane and thought it was ok..just a immature girl that never should be allowed near that child again..she knew what she was doing..news flash!!!! take your kids where you go or dont go!!! i am pretty sure the grandparents would have babysitted for her if she needed a lil date time but come on…this girl is insane! that is no excuse….i had my first at 21 and never would i ever let the thought enter my mind to leave my baby at home alone…not if my life depended on it!! crap like this just really gets to me…i hope they give full custody to the grandparents..and great job on not being as retarded as your kind…sorry but truth is the truth!
and i do not agree with what this girl done, it was very sick and twisted. I hope she stays in jail for a very long time. Think about it, there has been numerous stories on here from 25+ getting arrested for child neglect, so the question is, is everyone to immature to have children? i think not.
You know i think that it is pretty messed up that some people have to come on here and talk about young people being to immature for babies. NEWS FLASH its pretty immature of you to come on here and run your mouth! Not all young people are to immature, i know some people that are 18 and 19 years old and are ALOT better parents than most adults. So just shut your mouth and get a life
thanks!
She needs to beat with a golf club… by kids!!!!!!
we must try to be understanding. this woman obviously has a mental deficit that causes her to think this is ok. she must have thought it through prior to doing it. she freely admitted the child was home alone and told deputies how long she was gone. all of this is behavior of a person who does not see the wrong doing. I would guess she had an unusual upbringing to think thie is normal. I am not defending the act as it is clearly wrong, I am presenting the posibility of a mental deficit. No doubt it was a bad decision and very wrong but this woman might not be able to determine the difference of the two. I am glad the baby was ok.
I’m a single 22 year old mother, with two beautiful children. Age doesn’t make you a good, or better mother. What makes a good mother is love, and doing absolutely anything to protect your child. There is absolutely no excuse for something like this. Not age, not up bringing, nothing. Point blank your everything is over when you have children. These girls need to quit being so stupid, and so selfish, and start being the mother that made themselves be.
“nobody”, Somebody take her behind the wood shed and teach her a lesson…i agree with this statement…wow!!!
bearing a child does not mean a person is capable of being a parent. hope the state does not condemn this child to a life with this idiot.
Somebody take her behind the wood shed and teach her a lesson…
I was married at 20 and had my first child when I was 23. I remember while I was pregnant with my son the Michael Phelps pot scandal. Almost all of the sports media defended him by saying he was acting his age at 24. I was 24 at the time, and I was furious! The reason people in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s act this way is the acceptance of juvenile behavior. It’s time that people grew up!
you are a very sick puppy
I have no problem how young one is to have a child as long as they can support it on their own and not depend on the government or parents, and it is not out of wedlock. This girl wanted to play.
To the person who made the anonymous tip:
First of all, Thank you for caring enough to do something.
Secondly, I hope that you come through as a witness because you MUST HAVE seen something before this happened that concerned you enough to keep a watchful eye.
The problem here is not age but maturity. I was married at age 16, had my first child at age 17. I have been married for 44 yrs., So age should not be a factor but how mature one is at any age.
I am agreeing with others who have commented. It’s not the age of an individual, but their maturity. I personally know a woman who became pregnant at the age of 14, raised her children (while living with her mom and dad), and is an AMAZING mother.
I took the time to look up random child neglect news articles. Most of the articles faulted a parent who was at least 25, and some into their mid-thirties. Is 35 also too young to have a baby?
Age does not equal maturity.
Young does not equal juvenile.
Leaving a baby home alone equals stupid, whether you’re 20 or 40.
The obvious question is: If someone was ‘being nosey’ enough to call when this mother went out then they must’ve seen something before…Why’d they wait till now? How many other times has the child been in danger?
Sounds like the start of another “Casey Anthony” who is on trial at the present. Wanted to party more than take care of her daughter.
Mary…….most parents will protect their children with their life no matter the age of the parent. 19 may not be the ideal age to have a child however, one is certainly capable of being a good parent at that age.
actually, 20 is not to young to have a baby. i am 21 and i have 2 kids and i am doing just fine with them. noone should be judging here….i dont believe what she did was right whatsoever but lets not look at age if so i agree with the comment below… and look at people in their 30s and 40s that have done horrible things to their children… anyways, prayers for this girl would be more appropriate than criticism…….
Well I am 20 years old and I care and love my beautiful daughter more than anything in this world and I am happily married. Not all young women are immature. This story is terrible, I don’t understand how anyone could leave their young child alone or even the parents that murder and abuse their own children. People like this shouldn’t have children and they should be locked up in prison! In my opinion I think all women that get pregnant should be observed by the Department of Children and Families to make sure they are capable of raising a healthy baby and make sure the child would be in good hands. There are millions of couples out there that aren’t able to have children and want them and are having to go through the long and difficult process of adoption. Mothers like this disgust me!!
WOW!!! Thats really all I can say. There are not enough words to describe how awful and stupid this is.
How wise of you to think maturity level is directly related to age. If we can openly generalize and discriminate against the 20 year olds, we should also be able to discriminate against the 40+. I’m all for it. Let’s just make it fair.
Look i was 19 yrs old but i was also married n had my little boy. But it doesnt take a rocket scientist to know that you dont leave a child alone or unattended.
The sad thing is, shes probably done this before. If she hadn’t been caught, I’m sure she would have done it again. Sometimes it pays to be a “nosey neighbor”. Thank goodness someone was paying attention.
This is horrible!!! My daughter is 21 yrs old & she has 1 child…It seems just about all these young girls are having baby after baby..No they are not mature enough for them to be having babies!! DCF should look into a lot more of younger girls that have babies..especially when they start having more than 1 daddy!!!
Terrrrrrible.
Can we shoot people like this?
20 years old is too young and immature to be having babies.
This girl just wants to have fun, and maybe get a spare.
WOW!
She chose a man over her child…how pitiful!!