An 18-month-old girl died after being left in a hot car overnight by her parents, who are now being charged with manslaughter in Lakeland. The family went to attend the Fourth of July party.
Joel Rondon and Jazmine Rondon, parents of an 18-month-old, were charged after they left their daughter strapped in the car seat outside their home in Lakeland.
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Who are Joel and Jazmine Rondon?
Joel and Jazmine Rondon are both 33 years old. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, the couple and their three young children attended a Fourth of July celebration where the parents admitted to using marijuana and alcohol.
As per police reports, On July 5, the couple arrived home at 3 a.m. and started unloading groceries and other belongings from their car. While she looked after their other two children, Jazmine asked Joel to bring their daughter inside. Joel thought his wife had taken the 18-month-old out of the car while they were still unloading and he saw the doors of the car closed. Tragically, the little girl died suddenly because she spent the night inside the warm car.
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Joel got up at 10 a.m. in the morning to get ready for work. Around 11 a.m., he requested one of his children to “check on the baby” because he was worried about the whereabouts of their 18-month-old daughter. But the children were not about to find her. After which Joel rushed to the car and found his 18-month-old daughter still strapped in her child carrier.
He and Jazmine immediately drove the child to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, hoping for a miracle. Despite their efforts to cool her body down, the little girl could not survive and was declared dead.
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As per police reports, Joel and Jazmine then submitted their samples for drug tests. After the results, Joel tested positive for meth, marijuana, and alcohol, while Jazmine tested positive for marijuana and alcohol.