8-year-old girl dies in hot car; mom charged with manslaughter



A young girl in North Carolina died after her mother apparently left her in a car for hours on one of the hottest days of the year.

Last Wednesday, 36-year-old Ashlee Stallings went to work at an Amazon facility near Charlotte Douglas International Airport on a day when temperatures reached between 94 and 97 degrees. For reasons unknown, Stallings also brought along her 8-year-old daughter and then allegedly left the girl in the car so she could attend to her job responsibilities.

Stallings suggested to police that her daughter may have turned off the AC after she became too cold.

About three and a half hours later and about an hour and a half after the girl's last text message, Stallings went to the car to check on her daughter. According to reports, she found her daughter lying on the floor of the backseat, foaming at the mouth, and struggling to breathe.

Stallings then reportedly grabbed a hammer and smashed out a back window to get the girl. She then hopped in the driver's seat and headed for the hospital but stopped somewhere along the way and dialed 911.

First responders raced to the scene and found the girl in "critical condition," a police statement said. They then transported the girl to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased.

Court documents have indicated the girl had gone into cardiac arrest and suffered brain damage as a result of hyperthermia. Her name has not been released.

When questioned, Stallings reportedly admitted to police that she had knowingly left the girl in the car and that doing so was wrong. However, she added that she had left the car running with the air conditioning turned on and had been keeping in contact with her daughter via text, court documents said. Stallings suggested to police that her daughter may have turned off the AC after she became too cold.

Stallings was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and child abuse or neglect causing serious injury. She remains at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on a bond of at least $250,000.

A statement from Amazon described the incident as "incredibly tragic." "During this difficult time, we’re supporting our employees and have made counseling resources widely available," the statement added.

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Boy, 11, dies from cardiac arrest after attempting 'chroming' TikTok challenge, family says



An 11-year-old boy in the United Kingdom died from cardiac arrest after attempting the "chroming" TikTok challenge, according to the child's family.

Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington went into cardiac arrest and was found unresponsive at a friend's home in Lancaster around 12 p.m. on March 2, according to the Times of London.

The boy was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The boy's grandmother, Tina Burns, explained, "He died instantly after a sleepover at a friend’s house. The boys had tried the TikTok craze 'chroming.' Tommie-Lee went into cardiac arrest immediately and died right there and then. The hospital did everything to try and bring him back, but nothing worked. He was gone."

The distraught grandmother added, "He had a heart of gold just like his dad. Our family is utterly devastated."

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center defines chroming as: "The inhalation of aerosol paint and other chemical products in an attempt to get high."

"Hydrocarbons are present in many different household products, including aerosol paint, paint thinner, motor fuel, and glue," the hospital warns. "Inhaling them can create a high, which causes many people to use them as a drug of abuse. People may inhale the chemicals in different ways — breathing in the fumes directly or using something like a bag or rag."

Chroming is sometimes known as "huffing."

The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, cautions that chroming can cause hallucinations, impulsive behavior, depression, slurred speech, lack of coordination, headaches, dizziness, brain dysfunction, seizures, palpitations, shortness of breath, and even sudden death.

Forbes reported, "684,000. That’s how many adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 huffed or inhaled toxic chemicals in 2015, according to a 2017 report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A total of 1.8 million people 12 years and older performed the practice that same year, though inhalant use typically decreases with age."

Following the tragedy, the grieving grandmother said social media companies need to "do more," and added, "We don’t want any other children to follow TikTok or be on social media."

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