MACCLENNY, Fla. (WPEC) — A babysitter in Florida is facing an aggravated manslaughter charge after she left a 10-month-old girl in a hot car, according to the Baker County Sheriff's Office (BCSO).
Rhonda Jewell, 46, picked up a 10-month-old infant from the child’s mother Wednesday and has watched the child on multiple occasions since June, deputies said.
Jewell proceeded to drive to another home in south Macclenny, where she was going to babysit other children as well, a press release stated. She went into the residence but left the child inside the car.
The sheriff's office said it wasn't until the mother arrived at around 1 p.m. to pick up the girl that she realized the infant was still inside the car, strapped in a car seat. The arrest report stated that the internal temperature of the car reached over 133 degrees.
The young girl was rushed to Fraser Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The sheriff's office said medical staff registered the infant's internal temperature at 110 degrees — the highest a thermometer can read.
Jewell was arrested and taken to the Baker County Detention Center. Her first appearance in court was Thursday morning, and her bond was set at $25,000. She will have to wear GPS monitoring upon release.
On July 5, a couple from Polk County was charged with aggravated manslaughter after deputies say they left their 18-month-old toddler in a car overnight after they returned home from partying.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reminds all parents and guardians to make it a habit to search the entire vehicle before locking the doors and walking away. Temperatures can reach dangerous temperatures in just minutes inside a vehicle.
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