Local Mother Reports Burglary; Turns Out Toddler Was To Blame
SACRAMENTO, California. Police responded to a call Thursday morning from a distressed mother insisting her house had been burglarized, but all valuable belongings were accounted for when officers arrived on the scene.
“I’m so embarrassed,” admits Ashlee Gadd, age 36, who later discovered her unsupervised three-year-old was to blame for the home’s destruction.
Robert Harris, the first officer to arrive at Gadd’s home, said in a comment, “She shouldn’t be embarrassed. The house looked consistent with other burglaries we’ve seen.”
Police field notes indicated the house appeared in complete disarray. All drawers and cabinets had been opened and emptied.
“I just assumed someone broke in looking for something,” Gadd said, though no money, jewelry, or electronics were found missing. Police also did not find any evidence of forced entry.
Gadd’s next door neighbor, Donna Higgins, was outside pruning her front yard roses at the alleged time of incident. “I didn’t see anyone break into the house,” she told officers, “But I could hear a little girl giggling through the kitchen window. It was one of those creepy, crazy giggles, you know? A little maniacal, like she knew what she was doing was wrong.”
Presley Gadd, suspect of damage, apparently wrecked the home out of sheer pleasure while her mother took an eight-minute shower. When asked why she had made such an alarming mess, she simply shrugged and said, “Because dat was fun.”
“I’ve never seen her destroy so much, so fast,” Gadd said.
Dr. Susan Taylor, a pediatrician based in Los Angeles, California insists the behavior is typical of children between the ages of two and four. “Toddlers are increasingly curious about their environment, and also their ability to dominate it. The repeated act of emptying drawers, cabinets, and closets is simply one way to explore their own autonomy," she says.
No official police report was filed.
When asked for comment, Gadd confirmed her daughter would receive an appropriate consequence for her actions. “Mark my words: she will clean this mess up. I am taking away Curious George and the Moana soundtrack for 24 hours,” she said.
Officer Harris encourages parents to make sure valuable items are missing before reporting a burglary.
