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Father Leaves 11-Month-Old Baby In Hot Car While He Works For $20, Parents Arrested

By Chrissie Williams
Published on: 10:24 PST, Jul 10, 2017

A couple from Tennessee was arrested and charged in the death of their 11-month-old daughter, who police say died after being left in a hot car for hours, Daily Mail reports.

The Chattanooga Police arrested Travis McCullough and Jessica Tollett on Sunday, July 10. According to court documents, Travis dropped Jessica off at work then drove with their three children to borrow $20 from his father, who owns a food truck.

McCullough’s father told his son that he wouldn’t loan him any money, but he could work for it. His dad had no idea that his grandchildren were in the car. McCullough worked four hours while his three children suffered in the hot car. The temperatures reached over 80 degrees, which the authorities claim would reach upwards of 120 degrees inside the car.

When Travis finally returned to his vehicle, he found his baby unconscious and screamed for help. A young woman pulled over to assist and claimed that Travis “tossed the lifeless infant into her arms and left the scene.” The witness noted that the baby was completely unclothed.

McCullough fled the scene, filled up his gas tank, and dropped his surviving children at a family member’s home. The family member took the kids to the place of the crime, where the police filled them in on what happened to the infant.

When the paramedics arrived, the child’s temperature was 106. The little girl was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two surviving children showed visible signs of neglect and child abuse. One had a black eye and smelled of urine. The police gave the kids something to eat and drink, and they ate quickly. The officer stated that it appeared they hadn’t eaten in a long time. The children were admitted to the local hospital and will be released to Children Protective Services.

The officers searched the family’s home, and the living conditions were horrific. One of the rooms had urine and feces all over the floor and walls, and the refrigerator was empty. They had one crib, and one bed that the parents and two children shared.

The mother, Tollett, told the cops that they were on food stamps, but were running low. She admitted to using a belt for punishment but didn’t recall how the surviving children got their recent injuries.

The Investigators learned that the children have not been to the doctor in years, even though one of the kids has a clear development disability.

“Based on the living conditions of the home, lack of medical care, lack of food and visible injuries on the (blacked out), there is probable cause to believe that the act of aggravated child neglect has occurred.”

McCullough was charged with criminal homicide and three counts of aggravated child neglect. He has an attorney and is being held on $1 million bond.

Tollett was charged with three counts of aggravated child abuse and neglect. She does not have an attorney yet and is being held on $300,000 bond.

[Featured Image by Andrei Kholmov/Shutterstock]

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