Girl Dies Walking In Snow; Dad Charged

11-Year-Old Apparently Dies Of Hypothermia After Trying To Walk 10 Miles In Freezing Temps

(AP)  The father of an 11-year-old girl who died, likely of hypothermia, after trying to walk 10 miles in the snow on Christmas Day has been charged with second-degree murder and felony injury to a child.

Robert Aragon, 55, of Jerome, made an initial appearance Monday in 5th District Court, where Judge Mark Ingram appointed a public defender for him. The judge denied Aragon's request to lower his $500,000 bond. He was being held in the Blaine County Jail.

Aragon was emotional during the short hearing. He banged his head on the defendant's table as Ingram read the charges against him, The Times-News reported. After Ingram noted that second-degree murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, Aragon said "Oh my God" as he banged his head on the table one final time.

Sage Aragon and her 12-year-old brother, Bear, were with their father on Thursday when his truck got stuck in a snow drift near state Highway 75, north of Shoshone in southcentral Idaho, according to the Lincoln County sheriff's office.

The children live with Aragon in Jerome and he was taking them to visit their mother, JoLeta Jenks, in West Magic.

After the truck got caught in the snow, authorities allege Aragon let the children out to walk to their mother's house while he and another adult stayed behind to free the vehicle.

Jenks said she called Aragon because she was concerned after no one arrived at her home on Thursday. Aragon had driven back to Jerome after letting the kids out to walk to her house, Jenks said.

"They didn't even call me, telling me they were walking," she told the Times-News.

Jenks called the police and a Blaine County search and rescue team found the boy at a rest area near the highway shortly before 10 p.m. on Thursday night.

Adults in the search effort described the snow as knee-deep for them.

The boy was found wearing only long underwear, Blaine County Sheriff Walt Femling said in a news release. Apparently delusional from hypothermia, the child had discarded his jacket, pants and shoes, the sheriff's office said. He was treated and released at a nearby hospital.

The rest area was about 4.5 miles from where the children started walking.

At some point the children separated and their mother said her son told her they disagreed about whether to keep going or turn back.

"(Bear) kept on telling her: 'Let's go, Sage, let's go, Sage,"' Jenks said, recalling what her son told her. "She said, 'No, I'm going back."'

The little girl was found about 2.7 miles from where the two set out, barely visible under windblown, drifting snow when search dogs located her along a local road about 2 a.m. Friday. She was wearing a brown down coat, black shirt, pink pajama pants and tan snowboots, the sheriff's office statement said.

"I thought she was alive because they said they found her," Jenks said. "I was excited."

The girl was pronounced dead at a Ketchum hospital; preliminary autopsy results indicate she died of hypothermia.

Officials say temperatures in the area at the time the girl was missing ranged from 27 degrees above zero to minus 5.

Jenks and Aragon are not married. While she said she doesn't understand the decision Aragon is accused of making in letting the children walk to her house, Jenks added, "I don't need to sit and yell. I know he's going through hell right now."

[erasmus606]

Posted by harbinger09 at 11:25 PM : Jan 01, 2009

Ahhh, nope, that won''t be happening.

[harbinger09]

What''s all this talk about wearing underwear? Word to the wise, Txgrouch--underwear was not worn by women (or men) in the civilized Western society until the early teens of the 20th century. There was no such thing until bloomers came about--that''s right, women and men had bare arses under those hoop skirts and in those trousers, though men were apt to wear long johns if in really cold weather--they were also apt to NOT bathe in America and Europe until the late 1800s when trips to Japan and other places and the idea of sewage being bad--prompted them to not throw ****** and pizz into the streets.

So undies are a relatively new phenomenom. That said, due to the less is more of thongs--a lot of women don''t even bother with undies anymore, unless they are on their period. Why? No panty lines, costly scrap of fabric that protects nothing and hides nothing.

The point--if erasmus is not wearing undies--she joins many other women (young and old in not bothering to wear any) Given that undies appeared first around 1917 and many aren''t playing the Vicky secret scam game--panties may be a fad whose time is fading--either way--lighten up--there is nothing nasty about not wearing undies--unless erasmus asks your face to replace the job of her panties.

[harbinger09]

This is an overreaction to a senseless tragedy. If any thing, the dad is guilty of neglect, but to sentence him to life in prison for letting the kids walk to their mom''s? He did not exercise good judgment--but mistakes happen--now in the post 911 America there is no such thing as making a mistake or a fatal mistake--everyone must pay and pay big--not for the parents or even for the kids sake but for over zealous gov. officials--Everyone must pay big that is, except Congress, the President (which ever one it is) and the police and banks--the rest of us are expected to roll over and die for a mistake. The man is suffering enough by the loss of his child--does anyone really think he will ever forgive himself? Maybe some time in jail for neglect (I would not even give him that) but life and charging him with murder? Everyone wants a big case and wants to be famous--stupid fvckers--just go all out and say he was going to take money from Blago or that he is a terrorist--why the hell not--you want to make him pay for something--right?

[erasmus606]

Happy New Year

[erasmus606]

But when you make me explain a joke over such a long time, you end up making a Freudian slip somewhere along the way.

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 05:59 PM : Dec 31, 2008

You''ve been hanging around rowdy too long. You''re lying.

[erasmus606]

"And if you understand the history of the topic of the song (which was also a movie with Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds), you''''''''d understand the utter - something - ness of that line."

Posted by Jerkface

I do know that the movie they were in was "The Best Little W**** House In Texas".

So basically the reason you were telling me all this is because you think I''m a ***?

[erasmus606]

D*mn, so much for freedom of speech. I was just on another site and they deleted one of my posts!

[erasmus606]

I''''m not sure how much credibility to give this post.

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 05:04 PM : Dec 31, 2008

No, the only thing I thought could be right was the drinking part. I thought that part could be true because she doesn''t have custody of the kids.

[erasmus606]

Did you see this?


for those of us who live in Jerome, Idaho, we know there is more to this story. Such as the mother telling the father, "yes, I see the kids, they''''re coming up the driveway now." You see, Joleta has a drinking problem, she has to drink everyday. That''''s why she didn''''t have custody of the kids.

Posted by graylight51 at 10:30 PM : Dec 30, 2008


How could they expect the mother to meet the kids half way, which would be 5 miles, if she was a drunk?

[erasmus606]

And all you do is call me "jerk face" and now you''''re ignoring me.

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 04:44 PM : Dec 31, 2008

You are a jerk face, but who said I was ignoring you?

I was reading that article you sent me to.

[erasmus606]

Pathetic. Sad. Public School.

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 04:42 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Hahaha, you''re funny.

[erasmus606]

BTW, did you know there are TWO volume controls?

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 04:26 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Yes, I do know there are two volume controls. I didn''t adjust the video one because everytime I have checked before on other ones, it''s usually already up. But I went back again and this one wasn''t already up. I turned it up and it was a bit better.

I did see the dad in the jumpsuit. I thought you were saying that the dad was talking.

[erasmus606]

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 04:23 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Listen, jerk face, I went to the address you gave me and the only video that was there was a news clip showing the snow and somenews person was talking about what happened. Then at the very end there was this very short clip of some guy talking. It wasn''t the dad and it didn''t show the face. Is that the one?

I bought a new computer awhile back, and I have noticed that the volume doesn''t go up as high as my other one.

[erasmus606]

Just watch the video and keep track of HOW MANY PEOPLE he blamed.

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 03:42 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Is there a video of the dad talking?

I went there but I didn''t see a video of the dad talking. There was a small piece where this guy was talking but the volume was so low I could hardly hear it. And YES, I did have the volume up.

[erasmus606]

Did you see my reply?

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 04:02 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Yes.

Huh?

[erasmus606]

And isn''''t this post a crossover from a different discussion board?

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 03:32 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Yes, it is. I thought that maybe you wouldn''t go back to the other one, so I brought it here.

Did you see my other message too?

[erasmus606]

Posted by hatesthecolt at 02:53 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Thanks for telling me! I absolutely hate it when I don''t know what something is.

[hatesthecolt]

Football. I hate the Colts. Picked it when I was only posting on the NFL Message board but it carried over here. CBS shorts me one letter so it shows up as hatesthecolt. Too lazy to change it.

[erasmus606]

Did you ever drive through La Grange?

Posted by txgrouch2008 at 12:01 PM : Dec 31, 2008


Where''''''''''''''''s La Grange?

Posted by erasmus606


It''''''''s a nasty little sinkhole in TX. Oh, wait, that''''''''s a redundant statement... it''''''''s in TX.

Posted by hatesthecolt at 02:34 PM : Dec 31, 2008


And so WHY were you asking me this, Grouchie?

[erasmus606]

nope but your getting warmer! refers indirectly to an activity where lots of beer is often drunk!

Posted by hatesthecolt at 02:47 PM : Dec 31, 2008

Hmmm......would my pure, innocent brain know of this activity? You better tell me.:)