• You must be logged in to see or use the Shoutbox. Besides, if you haven't registered, you really should. It's quick and it will make your life a little better. Trust me. So just register and make yourself at home with like-minded individuals who share either your morbid curiousity or sense of gallows humor.

Satanica

Veteran Member
Bold Member!
[....]
Prosecutors charged Roberto Lino Hipolito of Long Beach, California, with second-degree manslaughter and two counts of negligent fire, all felonies.
full

According to the complaint, Hipolito and his wife slept overnight in their van outside a Walmart in Fridley, Minnesota, a northern Minneapolis suburb. Surveillance video shows Hipolito cooking something on the stove, then putting it in the van before going into the store.

The van caught fire and spread to an adjacent van where police say two girls were alone up to an hour Tuesday morning as their mother shopped at the store.
full

Six-year-old Ty'rah White died Tuesday night while being treated at HCMC in Minneapolis, Anoka County Sheriff's Lt. Daniel Douglas told the Star Tribune. Her 9-year-old sister, Taraji White, remained in critical condition at HCMC on Wednesday evening, a hospital spokeswoman said.
full

[....]
McKenzie told the station she let her daughters keep sleeping in the van while she ran into the store to grab something. The sheriff's office says McKenzie cooperated with law officers at the scene.

Fire investigators came to a preliminary conclusion that the fire started in the rear of Hipolito's Dodge Caravan and may have been caused by a cook stove recovered from the van, the complaint said.

When asked about the stove, Hipolito said he had not used it for several days, the complaint said. He later clarified that he had used the stove the previous night.

Video from just before the fire showed Hipolito placing the stove on the pavement by the rear of his van, then using the stove to cook something. After cooking, Hipolito put the stove in the rear of the van, which was driven to a parking spot closer to the store entrance, according to the complaint. Hipolito is seen going into the store, and about 2 minutes later his wife is told by passers-by that the rear of their van was on fire.

"She gets out and tries to remove belongings, but the fire intensifies within thirty seconds of the rear door being opened. Within 3-4 minutes the two vehicles on each side of the van are also on fire, including the one from which the children were ultimately recovered," the complaint said.

Investigators interviewed Roberto Hipolito again, and he said he had used the stove that morning to cook and then placed it in the rear of his van, according to the complaint. Before moving to the closer parking spot, he said he had tossed pillows and blankets to the rear of the van where the stove was.

Walmart is well known for allowing overnight RV parking at some locations, and the company's corporate website says it does so "as we are able," with permission coming from individual store managers. A frequently asked questions section on the company's website didn't cover other vehicles. A manager of the Fridley Walmart referred questions to a corporate media relations number, and messages weren't immediately returned.

Hipolito is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. The Anoka County Attorney's office says it does not know if he has an attorney who could speak for him.

A GoFundMe page has been started to help the family of the victims.

Roberto Hipolito image credit

Ty'rah White image credit

 
Im confused why no charges for the mom? "Ran into the store to grab something" equaled her ditching her kids in a public parking lot full of skeevy people for over an hour. Ultimately its her fault the child died, not the dudes. Her daughter wouldn't be dead if she had obeyed the law or given two fucks about her kids.

ETA: Ofc the gofund me is made by the mom...
 
Im confused why no charges for the mom? "Ran into the store to grab something" equaled her ditching her kids in a public parking lot full of skeevy people for over an hour. Ultimately its her fault the child died, not the dudes. Her daughter wouldn't be dead if she had obeyed the law or given two fucks about her kids.

ETA: Ofc the gofund me is made by the mom...
She should be charged.
But it's Minnesota.
. The van caught fire and spread to an adjacent van where police say two girls were alone up to an hour Tuesday morning as their mother shopped at the store.
 
Is it an age thing?
what does Minnesota law say about that

Curiosity got the best of me. Apparently Minnesota has no law against leaving your child in a vehicle. However.. they do have a law that no child under 8 can be left unsupervised for any length of time. Those between 8-10 can be left for up to 3 hours. They absolutely could still charge her..but the "she cooperated on the scene" excuse has me thinking they wont.

ETA: Interestingly enough..only 19 states actually have a law concerning leaving children unattended in vehicles
 
If you are playing budget motorhome at least do it away from other parked vehicles.
In the far end of the parking lot away from everybody you could have left the stove on the ground to cool properly. If it was hot to the touch nobody would have bothered it plus the kids were in the van.

It's one thing being a dirtbag. It is another thing entirely being a moronic dirtbag. There was no logic in play in any of the decisions in this story. The only thing that makes any limited sense is if they were trying to actively start a fire.

I imagine they must smell fantastic too, having likely never showered in several days.
 
Oh Walmart is gonna be sued, no gofundme needed. Allowing weirdos to hang out and bbq in the parking lot, burning up another customer's car with kids in it? Lawyers gonna tripping all over each other going after these deep pockets.

Poor kids :(
 
Any state that elects Jesse “The Body” Ventura as governor is fucked up.
Lmao.
He was gov of mn. When Arnold was gov of Cali.
My son was living in MN and I was living in cali. At the time, he sent me a t-shirt that says

My governor can beat up your governor.

I still have it.
 
Back
Top