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JEROME, Idaho – On a bone-chilling Christmas Day, a single father set out to drive his two young children to their mother's home, but the trip came to an abrupt halt when his car got stuck in a snowdrift. Then, prosecutors say, the man did the unthinkable: He sent the pair to walk the remaining 10 miles to their mother's alone, leaving them to trudge through the desolate countryside in frigid temperatures.

Hours later, his 11-year-old daughter was dead from hypothermia. And the man's 12-year-old son narrowly survived after growing delirious from the bitter cold.

Now Robert Aragon, a 55-year-old laborer, is jailed on charges of second-degree murder and felony injury to a child. And many of the 8,000 people who live in this small dairy community are questioning who should be held accountable.

Some are reluctant to believe a parent could knowingly send his children into such dangerous conditions.

"Who knows what went through his mind? It's just so sad," said Ron Choate, who owns a diner in Jerome. "Sure, the dad was dumb to let them walk, but he probably didn't think something bad was going to happen."

Others are less forgiving. On that day, temperatures ranged from 27 degrees to minus 5, and winds were blowing up to 25 mph with snow and ice — conditions that florist Dalene Buckman said felt "like razor blades on your skin."

"I am sure that the jail cell Mr. Aragon is now occupying is much warmer at night than the snow bank he provided for his daughter," Pat Brownfield of nearby Twin Falls wrote in a letter to the local newspaper.

Aragon lived with the children in a small house and earned $12 an hour spreading manure. His boss said the two children often came to work with him in the summer when school was out.

Sometime after the children began walking, Aragon was able to free his car from the snowdrift and drive back to Jerome, a town about 100 miles southeast of Boise where the largest employers are cheese and milk processing plants.

Then the children's mother called to say the kids never arrived. When authorities found Aragon about 10 p.m., he was searching for the children at the site where the car had become stranded.

Early the next morning, a search dog found Sage Aragon's body covered in snow, wearing a down coat, shirt, pink pajama pants and snow boots.

"She had a hard life. She's in a better place," said Thomas Luper, who grew up in Jerome and went to high school with the children's mother. "God, it's just so horrible."

Aragon's son, Bear, was found in a deserted, single-stall rest stop more than 4 miles from where the children started walking. The boy had become delusional from hypothermia, discarding his jacket, jeans and tennis shoes and stripping to his long underwear.

The snow at the site measured 4 feet deep in some places, and deputies had to crawl over the drifts to rescue the boy.

Aragon, who is jailed on $500,000 bond, cried during a Dec. 29 initial court appearance where a judge told him he faced up to life in prison. Two days later, deputies escorted him to a funeral home to mourn his daughter.

He is scheduled to return to court Jan. 23 for a preliminary hearing.

Also in the car that night was Aragon's cousin, 29-year-old Kenneth Quintana, a man the children called uncle. He now faces the same charges.

The Associated Press left messages seeking comment with public defenders representing both men, but a judge has issued a gag order in the case, barring attorneys and authorities from talking with reporters.

About 300 relatives, friends and others attended a memorial service for the girl. Darrell Tendoy, a great-uncle to the children and uncle to their mother, urged mourners to forgive Aragon.

"It's hurtful for him to be incarcerated and not be able to care for his child. A jail sentence is too harsh," Tendoy told The Associated Press after the service.

Randy Adams employed Aragon and Quintana on his farm. He said Aragon was a hard worker who put in 12-hour days.

"I don't believe he would drive off not thinking those kids were OK. He would not do that," Adams said. "There's another side of this we don't know anything about."

The children had lived with their mother, 32-year-old JoLeta Jenks, until a few years ago, when they moved in with their father, said Luper, Jenks' former classmate.

Aragon was convicted in February of misdemeanor drug possession.

"He was a nice guy as far as I knew. He loved those kids," Luper said. "I do feel sorry for him. He's going to pay tremendously in his heart."
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When he got the car free, why didn't he go look for them?

(Can we get a weeping face on here?)

I can't believe what I just read.....wtf?!!!

That man is an IDIOT... a complete and total IDIOT!

He's in jail. According to the article I read today, he's facing a possible life sentence as well.

A simple phone call could have done wonders...

What a freakin' idiot.I read stuff like this and think that half the people who have kids,shouldn't have them.I get so tired of reading stories like this.Makes me wanna hurl.

That "father" is INSANE! I know that I would average between 2.5 - 3 miles per hour walking in snow (and that would be moving at a good pace in snow), so I'd guess those kids would average about 2 MPH. Which means that the minimum walk would be FIVE hours in the sub-freezing cold.

In this day of cell phones and text messages, couldn't this idiot have called the Mom and have her come pick up the kids?

Or, when he un-stuck his truck couldn't he have driven to ensure that his kids were ok? And if the snow drifts were so large that the truck couldn't get through, then they were WAY to big for the kids to walk through and this guy is even dumber than I give him credit for.

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That "father" is INSANE! I know that I would average between 2.5 - 3 miles per hour walking in snow (and that would be moving at a good pace in snow), so I'd guess those kids would average about 2 MPH. Which means that the minimum walk would be FIVE hours in the sub-freezing cold.

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You exceeded this guys math competency level about 30 minutes ago.

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In this day of cell phones and text messages, couldn't this idiot have called the Mom and have her come pick up the kids?

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A $12/hour guy who uses his money to buy drugs probably doesn't have a home phone, let alone a cell phone. And the mom let the kids go live with him.. she must be pretty bright too.

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Or, when he un-stuck his truck couldn't he have driven to ensure that his kids were ok? And if the snow drifts were so large that the truck couldn't get through, then they were WAY to big for the kids to walk through and this guy is even dumber than I give him credit for.

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I'm seriously hoping we learn that the guy was drugged out of his mind at the time.. at least that way I won't have to accept that some people just ARE naturally that freakin' stupid.

But if he's doing drugs, wouldn't he need a phone so he could contact his dealer when he needs a fix? I don't know, I've never done drugs or had a "connection" like that. No idea how that stuff works.

When I first read the story I looked around to make sure it wasn't made up. Because I didn't think anyone could be that stupid.

Sadly, this guy is that stupid. The miracle is that the boy survived. Let's hope he's not permanently physically damaged from this ordeal.

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He's in jail. According to the article I read today, he's facing a possible life sentence as well.

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I've not seen or heard about many dumber guys on the planet,,, hang him.. jail time is just too good for him.

Another one of "these." A child killed by stupidity,.....

I would just as soon none of us be allowed to post this junk. Next time it says Moron Parent, I ain't reading it. Promise,....

Not picking on you "otto." Just dismayed at the story.

I know what you mean. But I posted it because I just couldn't believe that anyone could be that stupid. I'm still astounded every time I think about it.

I seen this on the new's..... Such a sad story, wth? was the father thinking?

[quote This is rural Idaho, and some of the people that live in those areas aren't exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer.

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Yeah because the morons who dont live in a rural area are so much better . Nice attempt to stereotype though.


KING

He's from Idaho, he's allowed to stereotype other people from Idaho.. it's a rule.

In other words he is a MORON

I think he should be jailed in Alaska and made to work on a roadside chain gang

He sent two kids under the age of 13 out in sub-zero weather to walk 10 miles across open country. He's an idiot and I'd have no problem with the death penalty.

Especially, if it could be proved he was on drugs/alcohol.

I cannot believe anyone would be willing to give this cretin an inch of slack. For any reason.

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Honestly, I don't think he realized the danger of having his kids do that. And knowing how bright a few people are in those remote farming towns ... I can see it happening. (Heck, I know people just as "bright" in suburban areas)

If you think about it, 10 miles in your car doesn't seem very far at all. I live about 10 miles from work, and if you've never walked it before ... you might not think it was that far away. I'm guessing he got stranded a few miles away from where he was trying to get, and thought they were closer than they really were.

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I disagree with that. If he's from there, 1 he should have a better understanding of how far he is from his destination and 2 he should have a better understanding of the possible depth of snow and the effects of the cold.

It's like people at the beach get swept out by the current every year and usually they are tourists who don't know any better.. the more familiar you are, the more you should understand the dangers.. the fact that this is where he is from is less of an excuse, not more.

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Agreed. I know exactly how far 1 mile is, or 6, or 10.

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I many not know exactly.. but as you state, I wouldn't let my kids walk 100 yards in that kind of cold.. I'm certainly not going to leave them out on the side of the road to walk when I can't even see the destination.. maybe he thought it was 8 miles or 6 or 4.. does that make it better? If it's measured in MILES, it's too damn far to make a kid walk ALONE in sub-freezing temperatures with high snow drifts.

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And some, like myself, would say the cities have a higher percentage of idiots.

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I just assume everybody is an idiot and then sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised.

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I just assume everybody is an idiot and then sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised.

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Does that include that pesky person that shows up in your mirror every time you pass it?

Wow....I had a hard time allowing my kids 10 feet away from me.

I'm gonna have to be quiet on this one, so I don't get banned...

BTW, it's good to see ya again, ndutyme! Holla!!!

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I think he should be jailed in Alaska and made to work on a roadside chain gang

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...after stripping down to his long johns...

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And some, like myself, would say the cities have a higher percentage of idiots.

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nah...

... the percentage is probably the same, Arch. The diff is population density.

Trust me- you're better off with the extra distance.

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Does that include that pesky person that shows up in your mirror every time you pass it?

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Nope, that's the only guy I trust.

j/c

The prosecutor has dropped the second degree murder charges against the 2 men and will instead charge them with involuntary manslaughter.

They face 10 years in prison.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090115/ap_on_re_us/hypothermia_death

Agree; that's a good call. Unfortunately it comes with punishment that doesn't feel "just" enough for the circumstances. Or am I seeing it wrong--the 10 years is a minimum sentence ??

Maybe I've missed it, but has the Father shown any remorse? I think 10 years is plenty for this crime...imagine what he must be going through if he gives a flip about the kids.