2-year-old left in car to die as sibling is inside hospital for abuse, AR cops say
A man and woman were sentenced to prison after two of their children died and another was abused, according to Arkansas officials.
The parents each pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree domestic battery. They were each sentenced to 70 years in prison, prosecutors said in an April 18 news release.
McClatchy News is not naming the parents to protect the identities of the other children involved.
On July 7, 2024, police were called to Arkansas Children Hospital for reports of a child abuse and neglect case involving a 3-year-old, according to a July 9 news release from the Jacksonville Police Department.
The 3-year-old was taken to the hospital for “urgent treatment,” police said.
Police arrested the 3-year-old’s parents and that’s when they learned the couple had four other children. However, the parents were uncooperative when it came to telling police where their other children were, according to the release.
Eventually, the four children, ages 2, 4, 7 and 10, were found inside a vehicle in the hospital parking lot, police said.
The children were taken inside the hospital and “appeared to be suffering from heat exhaustion,” a July 9 news release from the city of Little Rock said.
The next day, the 2-year-old who was left in the car died, officials said. The 3-year-old who was initially taken for treatment also died, according to prosecutors.
Officials said the children died from severe malnutrition and one also suffered fatal heat exhaustion.
The surviving 4-year-old was found with physical injuries indicating ongoing abuse, officials said.
“This case is one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking our office has ever encountered,” prosecuting attorney Will Jones said.
This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 11:31 AM with the headline "2-year-old left in car to die as sibling is inside hospital for abuse, AR cops say."
