Massachusetts — Gun safes are supposed to keep children out, but a 10-year-old boy managed to lock himself in.
Daniel Jancura and two other boys were playing with a safe on display at a Sam's Club on Monday when he became trapped inside.
It was at least 15 minutes before firefighters and store employees could get him out.
"I was pretty scared," the Rutland boy said. "It was hot."
Daniel's mother, Laura Jancura, had brought him, his older brother and a cousin on a shopping outing. The boys came across the safe - which is 5 feet tall, 30 inches wide and 22 inches deep - while she wasn't looking.
Playing with the key pad on the lock, they somehow managed to open the door. Daniel crawled inside and the door locked behind him.
His mother said at first she couldn't believe what had happened.
"My back was turned for five minutes," she said.
Deputy Fire Chief John F. Sullivan said officials were prepared to force open the safe if necessary, but store employees were able to get an override code from the manufacturer.
Slowing down things, however, was a security feature that locks the key pad for at least 5 minutes so no new code could be entered.
Comments
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tony88 (anonymous) says…
madmike, you're so cool!
aeroscout17 (anonymous) says…
Well, I guess that is one way of keeping kids from running around the stores; maybe they should all have safe!
Jillster (anonymous) says…
""My back was turned for five minutes," she said."
Good gawd...a kid can get into trouble in five seconds, let alone five minutes!!!!
How many seconds/minutes can you ignore what your kids are doing and still just claim that your "back was turned"? Why do people think that makes them sound less negligent, anyway?
costello (anonymous) says…
"I politely told her, 'If I wanted to deal with your kid, I would have knocked you up myself.'"
It's not possible to make that statement politely. By definition, it's an impolite thing to say.
75x55 (anonymous) says…
I guess it's wrong to laugh about this one....maybe not.
kneejerkreaction (anonymous) says…
This kid was 10 years old? And with an older brother and a cousin? That's one stupid 10-year-old, older brother and cousin.
Haiku_Cuckoo (anonymous) says…
You know dadgum well that while her boy was locked in the safe she had her dog locked in her hot car in the parking lot.
Lawrenceiscrooked (anonymous) says…
OMG. You people need a life. Especially you Mike.
kneejerkreaction (anonymous) says…
....and what's YOUR excuse Lawrenceiscrooked?
kneejerkreaction (anonymous) says…
As a young child, my parents continually locked me in car trunks, abandoned refrigerators, old trunks and a gunny sack or two. If this child had the same training my parents were so kind to provide to me he would have gotten out of the safe without all the commotion.
waydownsouth (anonymous) says…
Some of you people make me sick. Get some humor in your life. I have boys and they do all kinds of stupid things some even required a trip to the emergancy room. Why don't some of you think about your own childhood and what you put your mothers through before you complain and insult sombody else. Its funny news and the boy was not hurt maybe even learned a lesson.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Obviously, madmike has no children of his/her own.
Ever more obviously, knocking up a co-worker--by force--might be madmike's only shot at parenthood...
Only important thing here: The boy was rescued, suffering no harm or injury--but hopefully a little bit wiser for the experience.
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
http://www.uscentrist.org
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
Just wait a few days. This mom will sue the store for negligence, although she was the one being negligent. Maybe it'd be better if she kept her kid at home in the basement. This kid sounds like he could use some common sense training that most kids have by his age. Perhaps he learned this from a video game. I bet he was shocked when he couldn't use his machine gun to shoot his way out...
Haiku_Cuckoo (anonymous) says…
Social Services should take her kids away temporarily and she should be ordered to take parenting classes. There is absolutely no excuse for allowing a child to get locked in a safe! Thank goodness the other children were there to see it happen so they could find help. "My back was turned for five minutes"...horse poop!! No excuse!
Centrist (anonymous) says…
Come on now, you lot. Madmike's comment was very witty. I like it!
Newell_Post (anonymous) says…
Oh, for cripes sake. Did you guys ever do anything stupid but harmless when you were kids?
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
Mr_Ramirez: Let's just hope that your children were raised by someone else. I'd hate to see how many traps they'd find themselves in if you taught them common sense.
coolmom (anonymous) says…
he wasnt hurt and this is the story you tell at graduation or his wedding...lol. wonder if it is going to turn out the older ones shoved him in there? i was an older and "helped" my younger sibs find fun and learning experiences.
p95151 (anonymous) says…
Madmike--you're a riot!
dorothyhr (Dorothy Hoyt-Reed) says…
Our son decided to skateboard off the roof of a shelter house in Centennial Park, instead of sticking to the skate park, just for the thrill. He was around 14 at the time. We didn't punish; being on crutches for 6 weeks and telling everyone what he did (and hearing the laughs) was punishment enough.
BigDog (anonymous) says…
madmike
Thanks for livening up things around here....... too many people have lost the ability to laugh. It must be all that political correctness stuff.
hawklet21 (anonymous) says…
I thought madmike's comment was hilarious... And never thought for a second that he actually said it to his co-worker. C'mon people. Lighten up.
mommaeffortx2 (anonymous) says…
kids will be kids an what they can end up doing with your back turned for 30 sec. or 5 minutes is just amazing, laugh people I am sure this mom did.
Colt45 (anonymous) says…
But, it's for the children!
Confrontation (anonymous) says…
Mr_Ramirez (Anonymous) says:
"Confrontation -
Maybe you should volunteer at a daycare or something"
Believe me, I put up with enough kids on a daily basis.
KansasKel (anonymous) says…
OMG, I can so see my kid doing this.
jrlii (anonymous) says…
Safes don't lock themselves. They don't lock by just shutting the door. The handle on the outside of the safe has to be turned.
somebody had to turn the handle to lock the kid in the safe.
I have to admit, there have been times where I would have been tempted. . .
jonas (anonymous) says…
"Jrlii (Anonymous) says:
Safes don't lock themselves. They don't lock by just shutting the door. The handle on the outside of the safe has to be turned."
Daniel Jancura and "two other boys" were playing with a safe on display
Just throwing that out before the conspiracies start.
Eride (anonymous) says…
If I had seen some bratty ten year old step into a safe and close the door I would probably lock him in as well.
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
Not sure why this is a news story... but it is a funny story about some kids messing around in a store... It could have been me and my brothers at that age... or it could have been a "Leave It To Beaver" episode...
It's also funny what direction some people have taken this... I had to chuckle at the very first comment... Talk about coming out of left field...
jonas (anonymous) says…
Marion: Can't take credit for Jrlii. I merely pointed out that we have two extremely likely accomplices in said locking within the safe. No need to wave the fingers about too vigorously at this point.
Except for fun, in which case carry on, carry on.
costello (anonymous) says…
"I guess that you would have really gone nuts if I told you that said to her, 'I love children, but I can't eat a whole one'!"
Eating babies can be messy! Actually I think *this* comment is funny. I just fail to see any humor in the idea of knocking up one's coworkers. Sorry, that's just me. I guess you've learned what every stand-up comedian has to learn eventually. Not every joke goes over so well.
costello (anonymous) says…
For some reason this reminds me of the Rescue 911 segment where a 15 year old kid gets his tongue stuck to the inside of the freezer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQE3sU...
OldEnuf2BYurDad (anonymous) says…
My two cents: WalMart was negligent. If the safe is accessible, then they should ensure that kids cannot get trapped inside like this. Kids often explore with the belief that the adults around them have made sure that everything is safe. "What could happen at WalMart?" was probably the mindset of the kid as well as of the mother.
I could see myself getting in there when I was a kid.
I wonder how many of the critical posters on this board were raised by a single parent. I was, and it just about killed her (and me and my two brothers). How we all survived, I don't know. While I understand madmike's frustration (her kid should never have been in your office), I have more sympathy for the mothers in these stories than for anyone else.
EXks (anonymous) says…
Great story Marion, I had similar experiences as a youth and I miss those days!
Kids, will be kids, thankfully this aspect of life hasn't changed. Let's all be glad the story had a happy ending. However, IF I had been that boy, I'd rather have stayed in the safe knowing that my mother's WRATH would make itself well known to my butt, and then some!