CHARLOTTE, NC – In a shocking incident, a North Carolina mother has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death of her 8-year-old daughter, who authorities believe was left in a hot vehicle. Responding to a distress call on Wednesday evening, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers found the child critically ill inside the vehicle. She was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Post the preliminary investigation, it was determined that the girl’s mother, 36-year-old Ashlee Stallings, allegedly left her daughter in the car amid hot weather conditions, resulting in a fatal medical emergency. Stallings has also been slapped with charges of child abuse, willfully causing severe injury.
According to evidence, Stallings informed the police that she left her daughter alone in the car, with the air conditioning turned on, while she was at work. Stallings believed that her daughter must have turned off the vehicle because she felt cold. The vehicle was found warmer than the outdoor temperature of 94 degrees.
An arrest warrant uncovered that Stallings found her daughter unresponsive, breathing shallowly, and foaming at the mouth, after approximately an hour and a half since the last text communication between both. Stallings broke into the car through the back window using a hammer, then drove towards the hospital. On the way, she stopped at a business for help.
Authorities believe that the child suffered from severe brain herniation attributed to hyperthermia, according to details shared by the hospital’s medical staff in the arrest warrant.
Stallings is currently held on a $250,000 bail in Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office. She awaits her next trial on July 16. Additional details of the devestating case will be released by the CMPD’s Public Affairs Office as investigations continue.
Local outfit WSOC revealed that Stallings is an employee at an Amazon facility. Amazon confirmed cooperation with authorities for their investigation. Further, the company is now providing counseling support for all its employees following this tragic incident.
Stallings’ case marks the fifth confirmed child death from confinement in a hot vehicle, as per Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit organization. Prior incidents occurred in California, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, with the victims ranging in age from 2 months to 6 years old.