PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona man has been sentenced to six months in jail after prosecutors say he left his 5-year-old granddaughter alone in the desert with a loaded handgun and stopped at a restaurant.
Authorities in Maricopa County, Arizona, say Paul Rater took his granddaughter for a ride in his new pickup truck in November and got lost in the desert. He told authorities the vehicle got stuck and they had to walk for help. Rater told them he left the girl under a tree with a gun when she couldn’t walk anymore.
A helicopter later located the uninjured girl. He was later found eating and drinking at a restaurant.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery says Rater was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to felony child abuse.
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Clearly just a responsible gun owner and caring grandfather. Or more likely early onset of Alzheimer or some other form of dementia.
My Grandpas were never this much fun.
Guy needs to be dropped in the middle of Death Valley in July with just a gun.
This guy gets 6 months for an act of gross neglect involving a gun and abandonment that the child nevertheless survived. Yet every week of the year someone leaves a child alone in a house, or a room of the house, with an unsecured weapon that the child uses to kill themselves. And quite often no criminal charges are even leveled. The parent(s) walk. Dead child—no consequences. Child survives–6 months in jail. American justice.
There was a time when “a responsible gun owner” was a real thing - and “a responsible gun owner” was adamant about following all aspects of gun safety - none of this lunatic 'wild-west / galloping frontiersman" cartoonish irresponsible mentality - what is it with these dunces who treat loaded guns like they were fashion accessories or cell phones or a a set of car keys? or just toss them around like they were a bag of chips.