The couple who left their two young daughters home alone while they vacationed in Mexico left them unattended at least once before and also whipped, kicked and scratched the youngsters, prosecutors say.
David and Sharon Schoo were indicted Tuesday on 64 counts, including neglect of children, endangering the life of a child, aggravated battery, abandonment, cruelty to children and possession of marijuana.David Akemann, Kane County state's attorney, said the couple twice left the girls, ages 4 and 9, home alone, once for four days in the summer and then again for nine days during their Mexico vacation over Christmas.
The Schoos also locked one girl in a crawl space for seven hours and another in a room repeatedly, beat their daughters with a belt and pulled their hair, Akemann said. One girl was scratched on the chest and abdomen and kicked in the ribs, the indictment said.
Akemann said the girls apparently were disciplined for normal childhood behavior.
The Schoos, who live in a well-to-do neighborhood in St. Charles in a home with a big yard and a swimming pool, were arrested Dec. 29 at O'Hare International Airport as they returned from Acapulco.
They were charged with child abandonment, cruelty and endangerment for leaving the youngsters home and were freed on $5,000 bail each.
David Schoo, 45, is an engineer with a smoke-alarm manufacturing company. Mrs. Schoo, 35, is a homemaker.
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Unsupervised tot dies
A 13-month-old boy died in a San Antonio house fire started accidentally by his 4-year-old brother after the children were left at home unsupervised by their working mother, authorities said.
A neighbor said Tuesday that Linda Gonzales, 24, often left the children at home because she couldn't find affordable day care.
"She was trying to find a day-care center, but it was hard on her," said Beverly McLemore, 47.
Matthew Gonzales, who was 13-months-old, died from smoke inhalation. The fire started when Matthew's brother, Martin, was playing with a cigarette lighter and set a bed on fire, authorities said.
The mother was working at her hotel job, neighbors said. The boys' 8-year-old sister reportedly was at school.