Feb 5, 2009 6:41 am US/Eastern
Girl, 3, Wanders From Home, Freezes To Death
MOUNTAINDALE, N.Y. (CBS) ―
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State Police investigate outside the home of Lisa and Doug Weronick after their 3-year-old daughter, Cassandra, wandered off and died in the freezing cold night.
CBS
It's the kind of story that makes you want to lock every door in your house and never take your eyes off your children: A 3-year-old girl is dead after she wandered away from her Mountaindale home in the middle of the night, and on one of the coldest night of the year.
A newspaper carrier found the child on a rural road about a mile from her house. Cassandra Weronick was lifeless in a snowbank, dressed only in a t-shirt and a diaper.
"There's not too much you can say about it other than its a sad, sad event," said State Police Capt. Wayne Olson.
Olson said the call first came in as a missing child report a 7 a.m. when parents Doug and Lisa Weronick realized Cassandra had wandered out of the house. A short time later, the child was found a half-mile away, dead apparently from exposure to the bitter cold.
It's believed she wandered away sometime around 3 a.m.
Police say Cassandra had wandered away from home before, but was quickly found her at a neighbor's house. The Weronick's had even made efforts to prevent her from sneaking off again.
"The parents had a couple locks on the door, evidently she was able to bypass the latch and lock to get out of the house so I think her own ingenuity was probably part of the problem," said Olson.
At the Spring Glen Grocery, the owner, Ramila Patel, told CBS 2 the parents often stopped in with Cassandra and their two older boys.
"I know the family, husband and wife, [they're] wonderful. This is so sad, oh my gosh," said Patel.
The Weronicks told State Police the toddler had wandered away once before, but had been found after a brief search.
Police say the child had figured out how to undo a lock and a latch on the front door. Cops believe the family dog barked at 3 a.m. when the toddler wandered outside. Her mother got up and found the front door ajar, but she didn't check on the toddler.
"The dog appeared to have been the one responsible for the door being ajar so the mother closed the door, locked it and went back to sleep," said Olson.
The investigation continues, but police say there are no signs of foul play, just a tragic set of circumstances.
CBS 2's Tony Aiello and Hazel Sanchez contributed to this report.
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