North Carolina – A North Carolina woman, 59-year-old D. Bostack, was arrested last week after authorities say she Ieft a chiId in her unIocked vehicle amid nearly ninety degrees weather. She now faces charges of invoIuntary mansIaughter and negIigent child abuse. Bond was set at $500,000, and she is currently held at county jail pending court proceedings.
The investigation process began after North Carolina authorities received a call reporting a child unresponsive in a vehicIe parked at her residence. Officers arrived within minutes and discovered the 7-month-old baby inside her vehicIe. The baby showed no signs of Iife, prompting officers to begin life-saving measures until EMS arrived and transported her to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. Court and police records cite excessive heat exposure as the cause of death.
An arrest warrant indicates temperatures in the region reached approximately ninety degrees that day, and interior temperatures of parked vehicIes can quickly climb far higher, posing a lethal threat to infants and young children . Investigators have not determined how long the child was left unattended, but the warrant notes the defendant left her the child in her vehicIe for an undetermined period of time under hazardous conditions.
Following the discovery, the fostter parent was taken into custody and formally charged with invoIuntary mansIaughter and negIigent child abuse, classified under North Carolina law as a willful act or omission causing serious bodily injury. She was booked into jail that evening and released after posting half a million dollars bond the following day. During her initial court appearance on June 10, she was assigned a court-appointed attorney and instructed to return for another hearing on June 23 .
While police have not released any direct statements the defendant may have made to responding officers, available records show the investigation remains active. North Carolina authorities continue to review how the situation unfolded and whether any lapses in protocol occurred. Police have confirmed that the minivan was unlocked, and officers are investigating the series of events that led to the child becoming trapped inside under extreme heat conditions.
One acquaintance of the defendant, fellow foster parent Lasshon, told a local outlet that she viewed the woman as a caring and dedicated caregiver who had nurtured the child with love. The woman described being in shock at the charges, stating she can’t see her as a monster and believed the defendant had always been attentive to the child’s needs.
While the governor’s office and child services agencies have not made official statements on the case, rescue organizations like Safe Kids of the Mid‑Carolinas note that these tragedies underline the importance of establishing strict habits—such as placing personal items in the backseat and always checking before locking doors—and advocate for vehicles to include occupant detection systems .
North Carolina authorities are continuing their investigation into the defendant’s actions and intentions at the time of the incident. They are examining possible breakdowns in standard foster care procedures and reviewing whether any additional adult supervision was expected. Prosecutors are preparing for a preliminary hearing in late June, where they will present evidence, witness testimony, and forensic results to determine the case’s next steps.
