Parents of baby left in car will not face charges

Kim Smith

Wednesday, July 11, 2001 | 11:08 a.m.

The parents of a 6-month-old boy who died after being left in a car for more than five hours last month will not face criminal charges.

District Attorney Stewart Bell said that, after meeting with the Metro Police officer who investigated the case, there appears to be no evidence that the parents "willfully" abused or neglected their child.

According to Nevada law, to successfully prosecute someone in connection with abuse, neglect or endangerment of a child, that person must have willfully or intentionally caused a child to "suffer unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering."

In a memo, Chief Deputy District Attorney Vicki Monroe said the evidence indicates that a change in routine led to the baby's death on June 29.

The parents told police that the mom usually took the boy to day care on her way to work at URS Corp. near Warm Springs Road and Interstate 215. However, on that day the baby's mother picked up the father at a mechanic's garage, and they drove to work together, about a 30-minute trip.

About 1 p.m. the mom called the day-care center to check on the child. It was then that they realized he was still in the vehicle.

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature reached 108 degrees that day.

Monroe said the parents, who have no history of abuse, are devastated.

"It is the opinion of the screening team that this case is not prosecutable," Monroe wrote in her memo. "There is nothing to indicate that there was any criminal intent or action of any kind on behalf of either (parent)."