Ashlee Stallings, a mother in Charlotte is facing charges after her 8-year-old daughter tragically died when she was left in a vehicle during hot weather conditions.
On Wednesday, June 26, at around 6:30 p.m., officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to an emergency call.
They found the child in critical condition, and she was pronounced dead shortly after at a local hospital.
An investigation by the department’s Homicide Unit determined that the girl was left in the vehicle and suffered a medical emergency due to the extreme heat.
The child’s mother has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse by willful act causing serious injury.
She is currently held at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Incident Details and Charges
According to the police report, temperatures in Charlotte reached the upper 90s on the day of the incident.
Stallings informed police that she left her daughter in the car with the air conditioning on while she was at work.
She believed the girl turned the car off because she felt cold.
Upon returning to the vehicle an hour and a half after last hearing from her daughter, Stallings found her unresponsive on the backseat floorboard, foaming at the mouth.
In a desperate attempt to save her, Stallings broke the car window with a hammer and tried to drive to the hospital, stopping at a business for help.
Medical staff reported that the girl suffered from brain herniation due to hyperthermia.
Stallings admitted to knowing it was 94 degrees outside and acknowledged she should not have left her daughter in the car alone.
Ashlee Stallings is being held on a $250,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on July 16.
It is not yet clear if she has legal representation.
Company and Community Response
Local outlet WSOC confirmed that Ashlee Stallings was an employee at an Amazon facility.
Amazon has stated they are working closely with the police on the investigation and are providing support and counseling resources to their employees during this difficult time.
“This is an incredibly tragic incident,” Amazon said. “We’re supporting our employees and have made counseling resources widely available.”
National Statistics and Support Resources
This incident marks the fifth confirmed hot car death in the U.S. this year, and the first in North Carolina for 2024, according to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety.
The other victims were from California, West Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, and ranged in age from 2 months to 6 years old.
If you suspect child abuse, please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free, confidential, and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
The investigation into this case is ongoing, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department encourages anyone with information to come forward.
The CMPD’s Public Affairs Office will provide updates as new details emerge.
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Source: People
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