Warning: Contains content some readers may find upsetting
A grieving mom has called for her own mother to be jailed after two of her grandchildren died in her care within just one year.
Kaila Nix, from Florida, has been left distraught after the death of her seven-month-old daughter Uriel Schock – who sadly died just 11 months after her 16-month-old brother Ezra.
According to a Hardee County Sheriff’s Office complaint affidavit obtained in a report by Tampa Bay news outlet WFTS, her mother Tracey Nix, 65, was charged with aggravated manslaughter for the death of Uriel, who died in a hot car last November.
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Tracey had been babysitting Uriel that day and took her to lunch with friends, with CCTV footage showing her strapping the youngster into the car seat at around 1.40pm before taking the 10-minute journey home to Wauchula.
The grandmother then parked the car and rolled the windows up, before heading inside to talk to her dog and practice the piano.
Tragically, Uriel ended up dying inside the hot car, with WFTS reporting the temperature had soared to 90 degrees that day.
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In a police interview, Tracey said she had ‘just forgotten’ about the infant.
“The defendant said she parked the car in the yard and forgot the victim was in the back seat and proceeded to inside the house and talk to her dog and practice piano for a ‘long time’ because she had a piano lesson coming up on Thursday,” the affidavit said.
“The defendant said she didn’t have ‘anything specific’ on her mind, and it’s not like ‘I was rushing in the house to do anything ... I just forgot'."
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The affidavit said the medical examiner determined Uriel died from ‘hyperthermia as a result of the victim being left in a vehicle by an adult for several hours with the windows rolled up and the vehicle not running,’ ruling the death a homicide.
Little Uriel died less than one year after her toddler brother Ezra, who drowned.
At the time, he was also in Tracey’s care, but she fell asleep as he wandered outside and fell in a nearby pond.
Tracey was not charged in the incident, which was ruled an accidental death.
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Speaking to WFTS, Kaila said she is trying to be ‘objective’ about her mother’s fate after what happened to Uriel, having been left in an undeniably difficult position.
“If I’m objective, she needs to go to prison,” she said.
“As her daughter, it kills me to say it. As their mother, I demand it. I will fight for them.”
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Husband Drew Schock added: “Two children now who are no longer here. Somebody has to answer for that.”
The state attorney told the outlet that Florida appelate courts have stated how a ‘one-time lapse of judgement would not establish culpable negligence of the caretaker,’ saying there was ‘insufficient evidence’ to establish such culpable negligence after Ezra’s death.
However, Uriel’s death is ‘factually distinguishable’, which is why charges have been filed.
Tracey’s lawyer said she could be sentenced to between 12 to 30 years in prison if found guilty.
Jess Hardiman