Posted on 06/28/2006 9:17:23 AM PDT by KarinG1
DE QUEEN, Ark.—No criminal charges will be filed against the mother who left her 14-month-old son in a vehicle for about four hours, causing him to die from excessive heat exposure, Prosecuting Attorney Tom Cooper said Tuesday.
The autopsy report showed Zachary Bowden died from “environmental hyperthermia” because of excessive exposure to heat.
The report was prepared by the state medical examiner’s office.
“Based on the autopsy and an interview with the mother, the actions were consistent with the problems the mother had from brain surgery and she had also been having seizures,” said Cooper.
Cooper also said interviews determined the child had a birth defect, causing a limited ability to make noises or cry.
“The more we looked into the situation, I believe her medical condition was a direct cause of her forgetting the baby. This woman in her right set of mind would never have done this. I decided no criminal charges will be filed. The case is closed,” he said.
The mother, Kristin Bowden, found the child about noon Thursday still in his car seat and unresponsive.
She had parked her vehicle in the parking lot of Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas in De Queen.
She is the vice chancellor and dean of academic services at CCCUA.
She is the vice chancellor and dean of academic services at CCCUA.
College President Frank Adams said Bowden usually arrives about 8 a.m. on campus. It appears Zachary was in the car for four hours.
Cooper said Bowden did not stop at the day-care center Thursday morning but went to her job. She came back to the car at lunch and saw Zachary’s bag in the back seat and realized what happened.
The mother ran to the nursing center of the college carrying the baby to find someone to help her. The report said nursing student Dusty Brantley performed the CPR and used “two cycles” to get the baby breathing again.
The baby was flown by Angel One to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock at 4:20 p.m. Thursday.
“Doctors had problems regulating the body heat of the baby, and that’s why it took so long before they could fly the baby to Children’s Hospital,” said Cooper.
The baby died at 4:16 a.m. Friday at Children’s Hospital.
Heartfelt condolences to the family.
This is beyond horrific.
She has a BRAIN condition that would justify leaving a baby in a car, but she's the vice chancellor and dean of academic services at CCCUA. sigh...
The article was a little confusing. They put the blame on the child's illness, not an illness of the mother.
What did the child's illness have to do with leaving him in a hot car for four hours?
well, it is Arkansas...
Full disclosure: I've never had children. HOWEVER, I truly doubt I'd forget leaving my baby in the car on a hot day for FOUR HOURS.
Full disclosure: I've never had children. HOWEVER, I truly doubt I'd forget leaving my baby in the car on a hot day for FOUR HOURS.
ditto
Right.
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