Baby sitter suspected of taking drunken nap

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A Lake Geneva man accused of falling asleep drunk while baby-sitting a 3-year-old boy injured when he jumped from a second-floor window remained in the Walworth County Jail on Wednesday on a probation hold.

David A. Rasch, 41, was charged in late July with one count of child neglect resulting in great bodily harm, a felony that carries a prison sentence of up to six years.

Rasch appeared in Walworth County Court on Wednesday, but his case was reset for a 1 p.m. hearing on Oct. 27.

County officials want to hear from the state Department of Corrections about its plans to hold Rasch on 2007 criminal cases involving drugs and drunken driving as a repeater.

According to the criminal complaint in the child neglect case:

On the evening of May 30, Elkhorn police went to the apartment to help a boy that witnesses said had fallen out of a second-floor window.

The boy was lying on his back and screaming that he was hurt.

Neighbors told police they tried to contact an adult at the boy's apartment but nobody answered the door.

An officer knocked on the door for nearly two minutes and then tried to open it, but the door would open only a few inches.

The boy told police he had wanted to go outside, but he couldn't use the apartment door because a chair was in the way.

The boy then decided to jump out of a window.

The officer saw another child in the apartment who ran to a back bedroom and got Rasch out of bed.

As the officer talked with Rasch, he smelled of alcohol. Rasch then admitted drinking and falling asleep.

A breath test by police confirmed Rasch had been drinking.

The boy was treated at a hospital for a concussion, scrapes and bruises.

Related Article On Babies

CuteKid Gift Code

Pet sitter cares for local animals when masters are away

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The 17-year-old silver and black-striped house cat has kidney failure, and for the past 10 years he has needed someone to hydrate him by plugging a needle into his side and injecting him with moisture. It's the feline equivalent of dialysis.

It's the middle of the day, however, and Sammy's owner aren't home. Jim and Joyce Deuser travel often, leaving him behind in their north McAllen home.

Enter Chris Chavez. For the past 10 years, Chavez has helped Sammy's owners by administering his medicine. Sammy knows him well, and he perks up and waits for his treatment when he sees Chavez.

Chavez pulls the hydration bag from a nearby cabinet and hangs it from the top of a door beside the ottoman. After a few minutes, the procedure is done.

Sammy jumps down and heads to the kitchen, where Chavez gives him a treat. The cat also waits and stares at Chavez until he pets him.

Doctors at Texas A&M treated Sammy years ago for his kidney problems. At first, the Deusers brought him to a veterinarian each time he needed hydration. Sammy became tense and aggressive. Joyce Deuser says hiring Chris has kept the cat happy and healthy.

"He's just been outstanding, reliable, dependable, and we trust him, he's like a second son to us," Joyce says. "(Sammy) is as fond of Chris as we are, and Chris gives him shots every week."

A former veterinary technician, Chavez now works full-time as a pet sitter for Sammy and hundreds of other Valley animals.

While you're away all day or on vacation, Chavez cares for your dog, cat, reptile, bird or livestock. If they need medicine, he can administer that, too. He can also taxi them to a veterinarian's office.

If you're away for a while, he will also care for your home. He'll bring in your mail and newspaper, he'll water your plants and he'll make sure your pet hasn't messed on the rug or broken a lamp.

He has more than 150 clients throughout Hidalgo County, and his business has slowly grown since he started it in 1999.

Back then Chavez was a veterinary technician at Nolana Animal Hospital in McAllen. He worked with the animals, specializing in aggressive and uncooperative pets. He handled snapping dogs and cats that scratched.

"Some animals get scared at the doctor's," he says. "You can have a really good cat or dog go in there and be really different."

So Chavez would put on thick, arm-covering gloves and wrap the animals in a protective blanket. He would sit with them until they relaxed. Chavez, who is soft spoken, says owners tell him his calm demeanor soothes their pets.

His work with aggressive animals led to his career as a pet sitter. A client at Nolana Animal Hospital had a giant Schnauzer who didn't like strangers. The client couldn't board the pet at a kennel or even have a friend tend to it, so it was nearly possible to go on vacation.

Chavez volunteered to help.

"It took me a couple months going out there, but finally he got used to me," Chavez says.

That client told friends about Chavez. Thanks to word of mouth, Chavez began to pet sit for many people.

He continued to work at the animal hospital as his side business grew. By 2004, he had enough work to leave his tech job. He went full-time with the pet sitting and registered his business, which he named Pet Sitting Services Plus.

He charges $10 a visit, and a little more for elaborate services such as watching a house over night or caring for larger animals.

Business booms during the summer and the holidays, when many families go on vacation. Around Christmas, Chavez often works from 7 a.m. until midnight. Occasionally his girlfriend helps him, but only with clients that he has known for years.

He doesn't advertise his business, and picks up new clients largely through word of mouth. Nolana Animal Hospital recommends him to patients.

Chavez enjoys his job, and he loves working with animals. His dream, however, is to eventually open a kennel. He doesn't have financing or a location, but Chavez has developed a business plan and blueprints.

Most importantly, though, he already knows hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals who are comfortable being around him.

Different Between Sittercity Promo Code and Coupon Links



Sittercity.com Promo Link and Code : What's the different?
Some might be confused when trying Sittercity Promo Code that are available in our site. The Maximum Promo Code for Sittercity.com is not 50% OFF since those available and active code for sitter city will only give just 15% Maximum ( see more in homepage )

Now, What is the different between the coupon link and the promo code itself? The Sittercity Coupon Link, once click, it will redirect you to the page that already have discount on ( see the image below )


By using the coupon link you'll be landed on a completely different page which will give you instant discount at 15%. However, if you do think that the coupon code that you have would give more discount than 15%. Then try to enter Sittercity.com homepage and rush to registration and enter the coupon code in the box provided.

Will There be any different with the Link & Code?
The answer is NO. Either Promo code directly from Sittercity.com and Coupon Link will give the same discount result. There won't be any problem during checkout and after you've registered with Sittercity.com

Promotion for Sittercity.com

Back-to-school time is always one of the best seasons for Sittercity, and this year is no exception. You can help helping parents find sitters and nannies for new school year. Visit sittercity.com by using coupon code

From the region


Man is indicted in death of mother

WORCESTER- A Leominster man charged with stabbing his mother to death is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 8 in Worcester Superior Court.

Thomas B. Scesny, 27, of 39 Biscuit Hill Drive, Leominster, was indicted Aug. 20 on a charge of murder in the April 12 stabbing death of 46-year-old Lisa Scesny in the family's home.

Mr. Scesny, who was arrested the day of the killing, is being held without bail at Bridgewater State Hospital, where mental health professionals have deemed him mentally incompetent to stand trial, according to his lawyer Leonard J. Staples. Mr. Staples said the issue of Mr. Scesny's competency to stand trial must still be addressed by the court.

Lawyer James G. Reardon Jr., who represented Mr. Scesny at his April 13 arraignment in Leominster District Court, said Mr. Scesny had a history of mental illness and had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Judge Mark E. Noonan committed Mr. Scesny to Bridgewater State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. The case was transferred to Worcester Superior Court as a result of the Aug. 20 indictment.

Webster

Special permit sought to keep 13 dogs at home

WEBSTER -The Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a public hearing Monday on a special permit application from a couple who want to keep 13 dogs in their Slater Street house.

Christopher J. Roy and Michelle M. Poirier have asked for a special permit to keep their dogs at 37 Slater St., which is zoned single-family residential.

The Slaters' menagerie of dogs includes black Labradors, greyhounds, golden retrievers, beagles and Chihuahuas. Several of the dogs are old, and three dogs - two of which are on medication - experience periodic seizures. The couple included reference letters from the Southbridge town clerk and dog officer with their application, as well as notes of support from their dog sitter, veterinarian and former neighbors in Southbridge.

The couple said their dogs have always been current on their vaccines and properly cared for.

They said they have received no complaints from their former neighbors about the dogs being offensive or obnoxious in any way related to noise, odor or waste. The couple also said they would be willing to sign a letter stating they do not intend to replace any of the dogs when they die. There is nothing in the town's general bylaws regulating the number of dogs owned by an individual.

The public hearing is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Monday in the basement conference room of Town Hall.

Shrewsbury

5 school choice seats still open for Grade 9

SHREWSBURY - The high school still has five seats available for the ninth-grade class through its new school choice program.

The School Committee voted to open 20 seats in the ninth grade at the high school to school choice participants for the 2010-11 school year as a way of making up some of the $100,000 lost as a result of Shrewsbury residents going to school outside the district.

Diane Abbott, registrar, said yesterday that 15 students are registered through the program. She said 12 are girls and three are boys. They come from Charlton, Boylston, Leicester, Northbridge and Worcester. School begins Tuesday.

Anyone interested may go online to www.shrewsbury.k12.ma.us to get information or download an application. Questions about the school choice application process should be directed to Ms. Abbott at dabbott@ shrewsbury.k12.ma.us or (508) 841-8320.

Sittercity.com Back to School!

Back to school with SitterCity.com
Back to school is an exciting time for both parents and children: new friends, new clothes, new notebooks; but what can not be too exciting is the prospect of finding a new nanny or babysitter. Back to school is the time of year when, due to sitters going off to college and changing schedules, hundreds of thousands of parents across the nation are left scrambling to find safe and effective child care. But if parents act now, they can have a smooth transition. Sittercity.com, America's largest and most trusted online source for nannies and babysitters, offers the following tips to find the perfect sitter for fall:

Tip One: Start Early - The best time to start searching for a "replacement sitter" is before you lose your current sitter. Post your babysitting job on Sittercity.com a month before your regular sitter goes to college. This will allow adequate time to identify and screen new candidates, check references and run background checks. Even better, this will afford you time to have your regular sitter train your new sitter on the ins and outs of the job.

Tip Two
: Write Out a Schedule - Back to school is a busy time for families, so it's important to work with your new sitter to create a written schedule clearly outlining the job times, children's activities and general responsibilities. Include details such as the pick-up/drop-off times at your children's school, where to pick the children up, when they should start homework, what time they need to be at soccer, etc.

Tip Three: Cover the Details - Before your new sitter starts, make sure you have thought through all of the details and provided her with everything she needs to make the job run smoothly. For instance, if she will be driving your car, be sure to add her to your insurance and get her a key. Also, make sure the sitter has a cell phone and that you know the number, in case she needs to reach you or vice-versa.

Tip Four: Plan Check-Ins - Once you have prepared your new babysitter for the job, schedule regular check-ins to make sure everything's running on schedule. Check-ins are great on a regular basis, but very important in the beginning of a relationship when the sitter is new to the job and experiencing a learning curve. If you establish these meetings regularly, you'll have a clear line of communication and any problems or schedule changes can be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

With Sittercity.com, parents have full access to hundreds -- even thousands -- of local quality babysitters and nannies in their neighborhood, all with detailed profiles that feature their experience, background checks, references, reviews and photos. Parents can either search for the perfect sitter using a wide range of caregiver criteria or post a job so the most qualified caregivers come directly to them. So now's the time for parents to get ahead of the back-to-school scramble and start setting up their Fall child care today.


About Sittercity.com

Sittercity.com, the inventor of online caregiving, is America's largest and most trusted online source for babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, senior care, housesitting, housekeeping and tutoring. Sittercity has a network of more than a million caregiver profiles nationwide, and helps families and individuals across America find the perfect in-home care provider quickly, easily and safely. Sittercity's care seekers can use the company's four-step screening process, which includes checking references, reading caregiver reviews, conducting interviews and utilizing free access to background checks. Sitter profiles also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews and more. Sittercity's Corporate Program now serves a number of marquee clients, including Avon, MasterCard, FOX Networks, Pitney Bowes and Monster Worldwide. For more information, visit the company Web site at http://www.sittercity.com.


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Sittercity.com, the Chicago based Web site that links babysitters, dog walkers and other care providers to customers, has won a contract from the Department of Defense to provide service members and their families free access to the site.

Sittercity.com founder and CEO Genevieve Thiers declined to release the financial terms of the one-year contract, which is eligible for renewal for four more years. But even if the Chicago-based company received only a penny for every active duty member and reservist, the contract would still be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Consumers are typically charged a $39.99 signup fee for a monthly membership and $9.99 per month. This contract, however, came out of Sittercity's corporate division. Launched in Jan. 2008, its goal is to persuade companies to add the site as an employee benefit, much like healthcare or a 401(k).

St. Patrick’s Day Ideas

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world, and in different ways by many. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, you’ll want to wear a bit of green on St. Patrick’s Day to avoid getting pinched by another. Here are a few craft ideas to do with the kids to help you get in the spirit for March 17th. This is just in case that you will not be around. Let a Sittercity helps you with the child care. Register with Sittercity.com now with coupon code to save more

Wear It:

Lucky Charm Rings: Materials needed: green, white, or gold pipe cleaners, white craft glue, green food coloring or green paint, cotton balls.

For each ring, wrap the pipe cleaner around your finger (size small if for a child’s finger). Dye three small cotton balls green by dipping them in green paint or a dish with green food coloring (or just use green pom poms from the craft store). Let the paint or dye dry. Glue the three green balls on the ring with craft glue. Once dry, the ring is ready to wear!

Lucky Charm Pins: Materials (may want to use a variety to design your pin): glitter, glue, green construction paper, gold sequins, safety pins.

For each pin, trace the size of your shamrock you’d like then decorate the shamrock using your imagination and any materials listed above. Once you are satisfied with your creation, cut out your shamrock, then weave the pin through the design and fasten it to your jacket or shirt.

Eat It:

Eggs: Scramble up some eggs just the way you like them then add some green food coloring to them prior to adding them to the pan.

Pancakes: Make pancakes just the way you normally do, but add green food coloring prior to adding them to the pan. When you go to pour them into the pan, instead of pouring one or two separate flapjacks on the pan, pour three small pancakes next to each other, making the shape of a shamrock. Garnish with some fresh spinach leaves and enjoy!

Gift It:

“Pots of Gold”

Materials needed: green tissue paper, ribbon, recycled paper towel cardboard roll or recycled cups from egg cartons, a bag of green or yellow M&M’s.

If recycling egg cartons, use scissors to cut each cup from the carton. If recycling paper towel roll cardboard, cut two inch pieces, keeping the cylinder in tact. Lay each cup or piece of cardboard on top of a paper towel-sized piece of green tissue paper. Fill each cup with either green M&M’s or yellow M&M’s (a healthy alternative is to use almonds in place of the candy, or make a trail mix). Gather tissue so it wraps around the cup. Pre-cut 12-inch strips of gold, white, green, or black ribbon. Tie ribbon around gathered tissue so that the cup of treats is on the inside of the tissue. You should have nice little “Pots of gold” to give to your friends. Optional: attach little messages to each ribbon.

Play It:

Scavenger Hunt: find the pot of gold. Materials needed: Paper, pen, imagination, “pots of gold”

Create a scavenger hunt game with the pots of gold you made (above). Each pot of gold will have a ribbon with a clue attached to it, giving you a clue to where the next pot of gold can be found.

Sittercity Adopting a Child

Feel like adopting a child? or you're not able to have one? There are 4 main points that you should know before adopting ones. Visit SitterCity.com Blog

Towards the end of the adoption process, families should think about their childcare needs. Families may chose to hire a sitter, work with a day care center, or stay home with the child. Each family has different reasons or circumstances for choosing to go back to work, to work from home, or stay at home with the newly adopted child. Whatever your decisions and circumstances are, work with your childcare provider to make the transition into your home a smooth one for your new family member

1. Should I adopt domestic child or international one? There are points to determine

a. the costs of both, the cost can go up to $40,000

b. the wait time (depending on the country and child chosen, wait times can be significant, or, in times of urgent need for placement the wait time can be minimal)

c. the number of children available

d. medical and social history of the child

e. legal concerns of each process



2. If choosing a domestic option, the next decision you need to make is whether you will choose private adoption (newborns/babies), foster child (older children and siblings) and whether you have a preference of choosing a child with the same ethnic background as yourself, or if you are prepared to raise a child from an ethnic or racial background different than yours. You have already, or may want to, consider adopting a child with special needs. Many times, the costs associated with adopting special needs children are lower and wait times are shorter.




3. Determine who will assist your family with the adoption




4. Once you’ve done your research and have determined which options are best for you, you will want to begin the adoption process. While the process is slightly different for domestic than it is for international adoption, the process is essentially as follows:

f. Make contact with an adoption specialist who can answer all of your questions and concerns.

g. After you have researched which adoption service or agency you are planning on using, request an information packet.

h. And Lastly, try to Create an adoption plan

Advice for Elder Care

Sittercity and Advice for Elder Care



Advanced age, unfortunately, is often accompanied by dementia, whether from Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, small and large, or any of a number of other illnesses. By some measures, half of those over 85 suffer from dementia. The more severe the dementia, the more assistance seniors need getting through the day. To find sitter for senior care, you can always visit sittercity.com, during the payment page to subscribe to look for sitters in your territories, sittercity coupon code can be used to reduce the subscription price.

Seniors with dementia can also be at great physical and financial risk due to their own risky decisions and their susceptibility to abuse, either physical or financial. Depending on the situation, protecting seniors with cognitive impairment, as well as those around them, can be difficult.

What can family members do when a parent should stop driving, but refuses to do so? What if the parent responds to every telephone solicitation that comes their way? What if a loved one refuses help in the house or resists moving to an assisted living facility?

In many instances, seniors can be cajoled to do what’s best for them—but as with my client, that’s not always the case. In such instances, there is the legal remedy of guardianship. Unfortunately, as we shall see, the law can be a blunt instrument.

Guardianship proceedings are problematic on a number of levels.
  • They take away the protected person’s rights – he can no longer make decisions for himself.
  • He is declared to be incompetent, which can be hurtful.
  • There is the cost of hiring attorneys and doctors to get through the process.
  • The protected person’s situation and finances become part of the public record and the guardian and conservator must make annual reports to the court.
  • Finally, depending on the state, many financial and estate planning steps that may be advisable can only be taken with court approval, which causes delay and increases legal fees.

Sittercity Coupon Promotion EXTENDED

Sittercity.com will be extending its current coupon promotion through the end of April. Parents are searching for Spring Break babysitters to care for their kids while schools are out, so now is the best for the sitter seekers to use this promotion coupon

Sittercity Affiliate Offer Details
Promo code SITTERSAVE provides $20 OFF an annual membership or $5 OFF a monthly membership to Sittercity.com.
This promotion code expires 4/30/2010.



Find the best local babysitters at Sittercity.com

Professional Pet Sitters Week

Pet Sitters International is asking pet owners to help celebrate Professional Pet Sitters Week, March 7-13. During the week members of PSI will be educating pet owners about the advantages of in-home pet care and encouraging others to explore pet sitting as a career.

In a news release Patti Moran, president of PSI, wrote, "Professional pet sitting has become an important service industry in the past 13 years. Their dedicated service affords their clients the ability to leave home for business or vacation with the knowledge that their beloved pets are in the capable hands of caring professionals."

Brandyn & Brandi Wehde, owners of B & B Petsitting, are two of PSI's 7,900 members.

If you're looking for a sitter, sittercity.com is your best choice

SitterCity Find a Sitter and Stay Out of Jail

Always Check Sitter Profile from a trust source like Sittercity.com before deciding to hire one! Also Check out Sittercity promo of the month to receive discount from the site

About Sittercity Inc

Sittercity, the inventor of online caregiving, is America's largest and most trusted online source for child care, pet care, senior care, housesitting, housekeeping and tutoring. Sittercity has a network of more than a million caregiver profiles nationwide, and helps families and individuals across America find the perfect in-home care provider quickly, easily and safely. Sittercity's care seekers can use the company's four-step screening process, which includes checking references, reading caregiver reviews, conducting interviews and utilizing free access to background checks. Sitter profiles also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews and more. Our Corporate Program now serves a number of marquee clients, including Avon, MasterCard, FOX Networks, Pitney Bowes and Monster Worldwide. For more information about the company, visit the company Web site at http://www.sittercity.com. For more information about the Corporate Program visit www.sittercity.com/corporate.


Recently a Michigan mom was held in contempt of court and almost thrown in jail for bringing her children to jury duty when she couldn't find someone to watch them. While this is an extreme case, childcare issues create a crisis for American parents everyday - but there's an answer. Sittercity.com wants to offer parents three simple steps to being prepared when the unplanned happens so they can get to work, meet their deadline OR stay out of jail.

Develop a short list of potential sitters in your area. The web is a great tool for vetting potential sitter candidates. On Sittercity, you can view comprehensive sitter profiles that provide background, experience, skills like CPR and First Aid and safety information like a background check. The also provide references and parent reviews so you can get a feel for others' experience with the caregiver.

Conduct in-person interviews with selected candidates. While online profiles and third parties can provide critical information on a potential sitter, there is no substitute to a face-to-face interview. Make sure you're prepared with a list of questions so you get the answers you need. You can find a suggested list of interview questions at http://babysitters.sittercity.com/article/parent_interview_checklist.html.

Make sure you have an arsenal of childcare providers before you need them. Once you have gone through the process, you may begin to use your favorite but make sure to keep in touch with the runners-up - you never know when you'll need a back-up.

Pet sitter talks about animal caring

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Up until a few years ago, Diane Wilcox had a regular desk job. When she realized she was unable to sit at a desk all day, she quit to start her own business. Since she loves animals and enjoys helping people, she began her own pet and errand service. She said it is the best move she has ever made.

"I feel like this is my calling. Life is too short to not do something you love," she said.

What is rewarding about what you do?

People can go away on trips or when they are gone to work and they can feel totally confident that I'm taking care of their pets. The animals are always appreciative. I always get a wagging tail and a lick.

What the things you do for your clients?

Every home is different. When I first started, I did errands and pet service. I used to do grocery shopping, but I don't anymore. I mostly do pets. I feed them, give them fresh water, clean up after them, walk them, take them to the vet or grooming appointments. I get the mail and newspaper, take out garbage cans on garbage day. I water and look at the house and make sure it hasn't been broken into. Some animals are better off going to the kennel, but some get freaked out, so they are able to stay in the comfort of their own homes.

What is the strangest thing someone has asked you to do?

I would say (when someone) asked me to come over and pick up the dogs' bedding and wash it.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy taking care of the pets. The other day was a beautiful, sunny day. I was out walking a dog and I was thinking, "I get paid for this."

What is your favorite pet?

My favorite pets are dogs.

Which is your favorite breed?

Labs.

Have you had a funny or memorable experience?

I have a client who has a Persian cat that is mean. Whenever I go to her house, she leaves a broom by the door. I have to use it to protect myself because she will attack me. One day, she chased me around the island in the kitchen. I have to tell her, "I'm here to feed you, not harm you."

Where would you like to see your business in five years?

This is a seven-day-a-week, 365-day-a-year job, so I can't say I can't work a Saturday. Right now I have a gal who works for me. I would like to get to a point where I have more people working with me.

Do you ever feel like you are running around crazy? How do you deal with it?

Yes, all the time. What I do now is usually at night I look one day ahead and look at my schedule. If I go and look too far out, it gets overwhelming. I've learned to take it one day at a time.

Do you have to deal with wild pets and how do you handle them?

I do. It is typically the larger breeds like the labs. (In the past) I was around a trainer so I know how to handle them. I'm confident around all kinds of dogs and their behavior. I need to learn how to be more confident around aggressive dogs like pit bulls.

Do you ever get too attached to people's animals?

I do. I've had a lot last year where older dogs passed away. I've had a client for the past two years, her dog was only seven and had heart problems. During his last few months, I would have to check him twice a day because my client worked in Sacramento. That was hard when he passed away.

What is the best advice you can give someone who wants to do this?

Be ready to work a lot of hours and you have to really cater to people. They have different needs and you have to learn to be flexible with people and their pets.

House-sitter charged with theft

An Austin woman was charged with felony theft Thursday after she allegedly stole $6,000 from a house's safe last year because she didn't feel she was being paid enough to "house-sit."

Patricia Marie Viktora, 64, is summoned to appear April 1 in Mower County court on the single criminal count.

According to a criminal complaint, police were notified of the incident on Dec. 3 when a 64-year-old man and his 87-year-old mother returned home from a trip.

The two noticed nothing disturbed throughout the house, located on the 2700 block of 12th Street Southwest, but they did discover $6,000 missing from a safe. The man said he believed Viktora was the only one to have access to the home as they had left her to watch it.

Initially, Viktora told authorities that she had nothing to do with the missing money, the complaint states. Instead, she claimed she saw a "suspicious" man near the home while the couple was away and indicated it may have been him.

However, Viktora's written statement differed, and upon further police questioning, she admitted to taking the money.

She said she thought she had only taken $2,700 from the safe, the complaint states. Viktora said she committed the theft because she wasn't being fairly compensated for watching the home.

Time Constraint From Snow?

Evening news announces "Snow is coming down and School is Closed tomorrow" and immediately the kids are jumping and cheering for joy as this means a day to stay home and play! However, for many working parents their reaction to this news is anything but exciting, knowing that the next several hours will be spent struggling to find last minute childcare for their kiddos. Worries no more: SitterCity can help! ( see also sittercity coupon )

Sittercity is able to help with last minute sitting help for unexpected emergencies which will allow mom or dad the ability to get to the office knowing that their children are at home with a prescreened and experienced Professional Babysitter. And one simple call to Sittercity is all it takes to request a sitter as Sittercity does all the work for you!

SitterCity Supports Haiti Victim

On January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. Sittercity.com is helping support the relief efforts by donating $3.00 for each job scheduled in February. Check your local office for donation details.

Other ways to help

Also accepting cash and in-kind donations are the following sites: Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, UNICEF (1-800-4UNICEF), Direct Relief, Yele Haiti, Partners in Health, Red Cross, World Food Program, Mercy Corps (1-888-256-1900), Save the Children, Lambi Fund, Doctors Without Borders, The International Rescue Committee, Care, William J. Clinton Foundation, Meds & Food For Kids, Feed the Children, Habitat for Humanity, Mayor's Fund for NYC

The following organizations are accepting SMS donations in the US only:
  • SMS text "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts
  • SMS text "YELE" to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts
  • SMS text "GIVE10" to 20222 to donate $10 to Direct Relief