Following a terrible incident that claimed the life of their 2-year-old daughter, Florida residents Kathreen Adams and Christopher McLean are now being tried on a number of counts.
Authorities assert that the young child, who had fallen asleep in her car seat, suffered horrendous consequences because her parents left her there on purpose in the sweltering heat.
Due to the severity of the situation, law enforcement was compelled to act, which led to the detention of Adams, 23, and McLean, 32, on charges of child neglect, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Holmes County Sheriff John Tate stated at a news conference on Wednesday that it was likely the two would be charged with additional offenses.
A terrified woman dialed 911 to start the disturbing chain of events. The 911 operator could hear the woman’s cries filling the radio, but due to the caller’s extreme distress, they were difficult for her to understand.
In response, a deputy was dispatched to the house in the hamlet of Prosperity in the Florida Panhandle. To their horror, the deputy arrived and discovered a person carrying a 2-year-old child who was unconscious.
While waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive, the deputy quickly responded and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the kid. Sadly, the tiny child was tragically declared dead not long after, despite all efforts to save her.
Adams reported to the police that she had discovered her unconscious daughter inside their home. But the child’s alarming body temperature of 107 degrees caused the sheriff to have second thoughts, saying that “something wasn’t adding up.”. ”.
As the investigation continued, law enforcement officials learned a terrible truth: the child had been left in the vehicle for approximately 14 arduous hours. Adams eventually acknowledged that she had gone to a family member’s house after her shift ended at midnight to pick up her 2-year-old and the child’s 4-year-old brother.
When they departed on their return trip with McLean, the infant was sound asleep in her car seat. Surprisingly, the parents made the terrible decision to leave their defenseless child in the car alone while they went inside and eventually passed out.
They didn’t get up until 3:41 p.m. m. the following day and were horrified to learn that their cherished child had been left behind.
The sheriff continued by stating that Adams had admitted leaving their young child in the car on purpose all night. As a result of his lack of cooperation and assertion of his rights, McLean opted not to give an account or speak with the police at that time.
The order of events, including when the couple first noticed the child and when they called 911 for assistance, differs as a result. Adams claimed that the 4-year-old sibling had exited the car and entered the house. It is still unknown, though, if the younger child had ever been inside the car. They were actively investigating this matter, the sheriff claimed.
Police searched the couple’s home and discovered a depressing array of illicit drugs. The inventory included methamphetamine, marijuana, CBD candies, and drug-related equipment. Following their entrance into the house, Adams claimed that she and McLean had smoked marijuana.
When asked if he had a message for the neighborhood, Sheriff Tate emphatically replied, “Don’t do drugs.”. He was adamant that the kid’s tragic death was a result of using methamphetamine and other drugs, and he asserted that doing drugs frequently distorts one’s perception of reality and has terrible consequences.
“That’s what happens when you use drugs—you lose the sense of what’s going on in reality, and this kind of stuff happens,” he said in his stirring remarks. If they weren’t using drugs, we most likely wouldn’t be here right now.
In light of these tragic events, custody of the 4-year-old sibling has been transferred to the Department of Children and Families, where they will receive the care and support needed during this extremely trying time.
The authorities are devoted to protecting the still-alive child’s safety and well-being in addition to working to bring justice to the untimely death of the innocent 2-year-old daughter.