Poor girl. I bet her mom feels awful. I hope her family can find peace.

My thoughts are with the family and regret that their tragedy has been so public.

Did we really need all the coverage!  Shame on the local media!!!!!

and my prayers go out to the family

Well, there goes my drug theory. Why was this severely handicapped girl left alone in a bathtub?

Neo, this is a Bakersfield newspaper; it's not like it's L.A. or S.F. or San Diego where real news happens. They gotta report on what they can...

SOOOOO sad! The family must feel terrible.

poor girl...poor family...my heart goes out to them

It's a bad day all around.

With all due respect JBS~ "cerebral palsy as a significant condition contributing to the death but not related to the cause of death." From the picture you can not tell how "severe" her condition was. Kelsey died at the same age. 

I wasn't talking about how severe her cerebral palsy was; cerbral palsy per se is a serious disability. Drowning caused her death; cerebral palsy was the cause of said drowning, thus the use of the term, "significant."

JBS~ *thumps your arm,really really hard*...Folks with CP range from smart minds trapped in totally useless bodies,to nearly "normal"...but I am sure you know more about this "condition" than I do....not.*thumps you again for good measure* not in the mood for silly arguments,sorry. 

Very sad. 

Don't start them, then. 

"An autopsy done Tuesday determined Angela Horton’s death was from accidental drowning. The coroner’s office determined Horton’s cerebral palsy contributed to her death but did not cause her to drown.

Horton’s cerebral palsy qualified her for Kern Regional Center’s services. The center helps residents with developmental disabilities.

“(Angela) was a sweet, genuine girl,” Madigan said.

Horton attended Liberty High School and was well loved by everyone there, special education teacher Elizabeth Landeros said as she fought back tears. Horton loved music and dancing and she smiled all the time.

“She was just always very cheerful,” Landeros said. “I never saw her get upset about anything.”

It seemed like Horton always had the same, happy demeanor day after day, said former Liberty mathematics teacher John Goetjen.

“I never saw her disappointed,” Goetjen said." From this story

TBC ... why did you publish her name on your original "Breaking News"? She is a minor. And, it seems, a developmentally disabled minor at that. You won't reveal names of minors in cases of sexual molestation, but it was okay for you to broadcast the name and address of this family.

edited for spelling

Because revealing the name of a minor who is still living under those circumstances is done to protect said minor. In this particular case, the minor was dead, and therefore can suffer no adverse effects from having her name printed, just like the 12-year-old in Vermont who was kidnapped as a sex slave and then murdered. 

The biggest question here is why was the child left alone in the bathtub? Something about this situation is not right.

I see your point, JBS, but the "adverse effects" can be felt by the family. The reports were irresponsible.

When did you become TBC cheerleader?

Just an observation,as my son was severely affected with CP, I am aware that the children who attend Liberty High School are considered "high functioning".The article says she could dance,she had a math teacher. Young people like my son,who only danced in his chair with wheels if I danced with him,who could not hold a pencil,let alone have a math teacher, attend E.B. If you must speculate,perhaps it would be wise to await further details.

I'm not a TBC cheerleader; I was a journalism major at Fresno State, and I understand that although it may be painful, the news must still be reported. A story like this has a time limit on it; wait too long and it's no longer news. 

I don't see it as being irresponsible; on the contrary, I see it as being completely responsible, as long as the girl's parents were notified of her death prior to the publication of the story. Life is shorter for some than others, and newspaper editors can't let their emotions get in the way of allowing them to do their jobs. Cynicism is invaluable when it comes to reporting this type of news, just as having the ability to take a punch is a invaluable to a fighter.

But was it news? When did it become news? How does the accident of a special needs child affect anyone except her family? Again, I still don't see why it was okay to publish her name. 

Well, like you said before, there isn't any "real" news here like LA, SF, etc.

You hit the nail on the head. Bako has to take what it can get as far as local news. If a 17-year-old lost control of her car in the rain and had a fatal accident, her name would be published, even if the only people affected would be her family. It's not exactly what would be considered riveting news, but it is news, and this is a Bakersfield newspaper.

Fair enough and that makes sense. It was the uncertainty and speculation in this case that I think was inappropriate. It wasn't a report of a fatal accident publishing the name of a minor, it was the dragging out of the story via "raw reports/breaking news" over a period of time that bothers me. 

Also, if a minor lost control of her car and had a fatal accident, her home address is never published. I think there is a certain sensitivity lacking here.