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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Infant dies after being left in car 'for hours'; Daily Mail gushes about her 2 adoptive dads



A baby girl in California died after she was left inside a car "for hours." Despite the tragic circumstances of the girl's untimely death, the Daily Mail, which published the exclusive report about it, showered praise on the gay couple who adopted her.

Romer and Jayson De Los Santos are two men from the San Diego area who became legal partners in 2008, just a few months before Proposition 8 passed overwhelmingly and banned same-sex marriage in California until the 2013 Obergefell SCOTUS ruling.

'Romer is an avid gardener and grows fruit, vegetables, bonsai trees, and flowers in the backyard and Jayson looks after the animals and collects eggs from the chickens.'

Within the last couple of years, the men first adopted a boy. Last November, they filled out a profile on an adoption site, expressing their desire for a baby. "Our hearts and home are open to providing more love to another amazing child," Romer and Jayson wrote in the profile.

Their wish was granted just a short five months later when little Diana Sofia was born in Arizona on April 11. The De Los Santoses flew out to Arizona and adopted Diana shortly thereafter.

Sadly, barely two months later, little Diana was dead. Just before 12:30 a.m. on June 13, she was found unresponsive inside the De Los Santoses' SUV parked outside their home. Paramedics arrived within minutes and raced Diana to Sharp Grossmont Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Though outdoor temperatures at the time were just 63 degrees Fahrenheit, the interior of a car can reach temperatures as high as 115 degrees even when it is just 70 degrees outside, the Daily Mail reported. Plus, the body temperature of children rises at significantly higher rates than that of adults.

It is unclear who left Diana in the car and for how long, though investigators believe she had been in the car "for hours." No charges have been filed in the case, which remains under investigation. A cause of death has not yet officially been determined.

"Never leave your child alone in a car even for a second to dash into a store or to run a quick errand," police said, according to the outlet. "Summer routines can shift unexpectedly. Even the best parents can forget a quiet or sleeping child is in the backseat of a car."

Though stopping short of calling the De Los Santoses "the best parents," one neighbor did indicate to the Daily Mail that they did seem to care about their children. "They seem like a nice family who wanted to give a couple of kids a good life, it's just a shame it didn't turn out that way," the neighbor said.

The Daily Mail certainly seems to view the De Los Santoses as good parents. The outlet fawned over the "adorable photos" the men had posted on social media, showing them "cradling" Diana and introducing her to her brother.

"Romer is an avid gardener and grows fruit, vegetables, bonsai trees, and flowers in the backyard and Jayson looks after the animals and collects eggs from the chickens," the outlet shared in the article about their deceased daughter.

"Romer explained [he and Jayson] both came from big families that often had dinners and parties and went on holiday together," the article added.

The Daily Mail also claimed that the De Los Santoses have so many animals living in their three-bedroom home that it is "basically a zoo." They even provide temporary homes for foster animals.

Jayson, who has purple hair in several photos, is described in the Daily Mail article as a "stay-at-home dad."

Despite the glowing account from the Daily Mail, the Publica reported that the speed at which the De Los Santoses had been able to adopt Diana "has raised concerns." The Publica noted that newborns are in high demand for prospective adoptive parents, who often have to wait a year or more before adopting a baby.

The Publica also reported that Romer is a former LGBT activist in the area. More than 15 years ago, he began volunteering with San Diego LGBT Pride and eventually rose in the ranks to become co-chair, a position he held for three years. During that time, he bragged that he "doubled the size of the Board of Directors within a year and improved its diversity in age, race, gender, and gender identity," the Publica reported.

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NYC school librarian arrested for allegedly leaving baby daughter in hot car for over 5 hours, coworker rescued trapped infant by smashing window



A New York City school librarian was arrested for leaving his baby in a hot car for more than five hours, according to police. Thankfully, a school employee rescued the trapped infant before possible death.

At 2:48 p.m. on Thursday, Michael Dodes was arrested at Walter J. Damrosch School – his place of employment. Dodes is accused of leaving his 1-year-old daughter alone in his 2014 Subaru Forester outside the school in the Bronx for more than five hours. Dodes was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

The married father-of-two allegedly parked his car in front of the school in Morrisania. He then reportedly left his infant daughter in the vehicle as he went to work at the Walter J. Damrosch School.

Dodes, 41, was recently hired as a librarian. However, school officials said Dodes wasn't slated to begin working until next month.

Another school employee noticed the baby unattended inside the hot car. The school employee frantically smashed the rear passenger window, according to police. Dodes' coworker rescued the trapped infant.

The baby was allegedly conscious and alert when she was saved. She was rushed to the Bronx Lebanon Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

City schools spokesperson Jenna Lyle said, "We commend the heroism of the school staff member who took action to remove this child from danger. Upon learning of this incident, the school immediately contacted NYPD and EMS who responded to the scene. This employee is being reassigned away from students."

Dodes has been employed by the education department since 2007, according to New York City's Department of Education.

The New York State Education Department previously said of Dodes, "Michael Dodes had been a Library Media Specialist serving high needs students in the Bronx and Harlem for more than 9 years prior to becoming a Library Coordinator for the New York City Department of Education in 2016."

According to a LinkedIn page attributed to him, Dodes previously worked as the library coordinator for the Queens Office of School Library Service in 2017. Before that position, Dodes reportedly worked as a library coordinator for North Brooklyn.

A 2021 profile for Dodes on the New York City School Tech Summit website said, "Michael has expertise in coding, instructional technology, copyright laws & licensing, and accessibility, all of which he runs extensive professional development on."

The listing added that Dodes has "expertise in copyright law, privacy, digital and physical accessibility, coding, website/graphic design, and gaming."

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Man locks puppy in car for hours with its mouth taped shut in Las Vegas heat while he gambles in air-conditioned casino: Report



Security guards at a Las Vegas casino averted disaster last week when they rescued a puppy who had been left trapped in a car for hours on the rooftop of a parking garage in the middle of the afternoon. Its mouth had allegedly been taped shut.

On July 20, Las Vegas Metro Police Department said that officers received a call from security at the Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip at approximately 3 p.m. local time to report that a Husky puppy had been discovered in a car parked on the rooftop deck of the casino parking garage. Security guards were able to rescue the puppy, estimated to be three months old, by bringing it out through the sunroof of the vehicle. The dog had reportedly been left unattended with the windows up, no water or air conditioning, and with tape over its mouth.

Once police arrived, a witness told them that there had been "a lot of saliva” on the dog when it was first extracted from the car and that “he wasn’t able to breathe.”

Shortly after their arrival, Raul Carbajal, 50, of Corona Del Mar in Southern California, appeared on the scene and admitted to police that he owned the vehicle in which the dog had been found. Carbajal was immediately placed under arrest for willful and malicious torture of an animal.

LVMPD has since released the bodycam footage of the arrest:


"You're going to jail on a felony for willful endangerment of an animal," an officer can be heard telling Carbajal. "[Do you] realize how hot it is outside? You had the vehicle off, the windows up, and you had tape around your dog's mouth."

In a series of tweets, LVMPD also claimed that dog had been in the car in that condition for two hours while Carbajal went gambling in the air conditioning. The high temperature in Las Vegas that day was 113 degrees.

"NOTE: *DO NOT LEAVE PEOPLE OR ANIMALS IN HOT CARS. PERIOD,*" LVMPD reminded all readers.

According to ABC News via MSN, the husky puppy is still in the care of animal control and is receiving medical treatment.