A North Carolina mother has been charged with manslaughter after she allegedly locked her 8-year-old daughter in a car during a heatwave last week, leading to her death.
Ashley Stallings, 36, was being held at the Mecklenburg Detention Center on $250,000 bail on charges of manslaughter and child abuse after she allegedly left the girl locked in extreme heat while working at her Amazon workplace on Wednesday. police said in a press release..
According to police records Reviewed by WCNC-TV NewsStallings admitted to police that he left his daughter in the car so he could go to work, even though it was 94 degrees outside.
She told police she had left her car running with the air conditioning on outside the Amazon fulfillment center where she works, but that she may have turned it off because her daughter was cold, according to the outlet.
Stallings returned to his vehicle about 90 minutes after he had last received a text message from the girl, found her lying motionless on the floor of the vehicle, and smashed the window with a hammer to get to her.
The girl, whose name has not been released, was breathing shallowly and foaming at the mouth.
Police said they were called to the scene just before 6:30 p.m. and found the girl unresponsive.
She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead and Stallings was arrested.
In a statement to WCNC, an Amazon spokesperson called the incident “tragic.”
“This is an incredibly tragic incident,” the statement said. “We are supporting our employees during this difficult time and making counselling resources widely available.”
“We are also working closely with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in their investigation.”
The media outlet reported that Wednesday’s maximum temperature reached 99 degrees, making it the hottest day so far this year.
Stallings is due to appear in court again on July 16.
