Caregiver who left 4-year-old girl to die in hot car fined just $25

A Pennsylvania caregiver who left a 4-year-old child to die in a hot car two years ago was fined just $25.

After deliberating for three hours last Friday, jurors acquitted Brittany Borgess, 30, of Williamsport, of the most serious charges against her, the AP reported.

Borgess, who prosecutors said left family friend Samaria Motyka in an SUV with the windows closed for over six hours in July 2016, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and reckless endangerment.

Lycoming County Senior Judge Dudley Anderson found Borgess guilty of the summary charge of leaving a child unattended in a car. She fined her $25.

Upon hearing the verdict, several of the victim’s family and friends exploded with rage and were escorted from the courtroom for screaming profanities, Penn Live reported.

Defense attorney Peter Campana called Borgess’ actions on the day of the child’s death an “autopilot mistake.”

On the day of the tragedy, Borgess dropped her 2-year-old son, Isaac, off at his daycare. Instead of dropping family friend Samaria off at her daycare, Borgess drove straight to work, leaving the girl strapped to a booster seat in the back of the car. Williamsport temperatures hit 97 degrees that day, and Borgess parked the sweltering car in an area with no shade.

Six and a half hours later, Samaria was found unresponsive on the floor of the car with her head on the front passenger seat. She managed to get out of her booster seat, police said. Samaria’s internal temperature reached 110 degrees, according to an evaluation at Williamsport Regional Medical Center.

Campana argued Borgess was sleep deprived and stressed because she was about to get married and that she “didn’t want this to happen.”

Friends of the victim’s family started a GoFundMe page after her death. It raised $820 of its $1,000 goal.

via:  https://nypost.com/2018/11/13/caregiver-who-left-4-year-old-girl-to-die-in-hot-car-fined-just-25/