An 11-month-old baby and a dog died after being left in a car for six hours in York County, Virginia, on Tuesday (September 12).
At a press conference on September 13, the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office revealed that the baby, named Myrical Wicker, and the dog were left in the car between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., when the heat index was at least 100 degrees.
Police discovered the child’s death after responding to a call from a nearby hospital that an 80-year-old man was in the emergency room with the baby in a black plastic bag.
The man, who lived with the suspect, told staff “that he had a deceased child in the back of his vehicle – and that vehicle was parked right inside the emergency room doors.”
According to the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office, Kristen D. Graham, 40, who is caring for the child, was arrested on the night of September 12.
She was charged with one felony count of child neglect and one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty.
According to York-Poquoson Sheriff Ron Montgomery, Graham frequently looked after the child and dog and had been watching them for two days.
According to the investigation, Graham took the child and the dog to a friend’s house at 1 a.m. And then she returned to her residence in York County around 8 a.m. the same day. Graham left the child and dog inside the vehicle before entering her home and falling asleep.
Graham was then awakened around 2:30 p.m. by a phone call, went outside to check on the child, “who was at that time deceased”, » said Montgomery.
Graham claimed she remained in the vehicle with the child and dog, but according to the police investigation, that was not the case.
“It’s insane that something like this would happen.” » said Montgomery.
The investigation into this matter is ongoing, but according to CNNGraham’s charges could become homicide charges depending on the outcome of the investigation.