Caretaker Faces Murder Charge For Leaving Cerebral Palsy Patient In Hot Car
On Monday (August 23), a North Carolina caretaker was arrested after she allegedly left a 21-year-old patient with cerebral palsy in a hot car for several hours, which caused the patient’s death.
According to the High Point Police department, Briea Askew, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held at the Guilford County jail on a $200,000 bond.
On August 10, police responded to Wake Forest Baptist High Point Hospital at around 2:30 p.m. in relation to a death investigation. The female patient, who hasn’t been identified by authorities, had been brought to the hospital with a temperature of more than 110 degrees and was pronounced dead shortly afterward.
According to the police release, an investigation led authorities to believe that Askew allegedly left the patient in a car unattended for around five hours. The vehicle did not have air conditioning, which contributed to the victim’s death.
It isn’t immediately clear whether Askew has entered a plea.