CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A mother has been charged with manslaughter and neglect after her 8-year-old child died from being left in a hot vehicle while at work at an Amazon facility, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department says.
Investigators say the child’s mother, 36-year-old Ashlee Stallings, left her daughter in the car with the air conditioning running when she went to work at the Amazon Distribution Center in the 8000 block of Tuckaseegee Road.
According to a police report, Stallings told officers that when she returned to check on the child about an hour after the two were talking over text, the girl was unresponsive on the floor of the back seat. Stallings used a hammer to break the back window, finding the girl taking shallow breaths and foaming at the mouth.
Stallings believes her daughter turned off the AC because she was cold, according to police. The mother then started to drive to the hospital, but stopped at the NAPA Auto Parts store in the 4100 block of Wilkinson Boulevard to call for help.
First responders got the call about a girl in critical condition just before 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26. The 8-year-old was taken from the Wilkinson Boulevard address to the hospital, but she died soon after midnight.
The girl had a medical emergency in the vehicle due to the hot temperatures, according to authorities. Charlotte reached a high of 99 degrees on Wednesday.
Stallings told police that she knew that it was 94 degrees outside and that her daughter should not have been left in the car alone.
Stallings has been arrested and charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Abuse by Willful Act Causing Serious Injury. She is being held on a $250,000 bond.
“This is an incredibly tragic incident,” Amazon said in a statement. “During this difficult time, we’re supporting our employees and have made counseling resources widely available. We’re also working closely with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department as they investigate.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 704-432-TIPS to speak with a CMPD homicide detective. To leave information anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 or charlottecrimestoppers.com.
Abby Mittower
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