Milton man charged with manslaughter in death of infant left in vehicle
A Milton man was charged with negligent manslaughter in the death of an infant who was left unattended in a vehicle for several hours last summer.
Dustin Scott Campbell, 26, was arrested Tuesday night in connection with an incident June 9.
A Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office arrest report alleges Campbell caused the death of the child by culpable negligence because he was tasked with supervising the child while another adult slept and did not check on the child for a period of several hours.
Although Campbell's arrest report is heavily redacted, it seems to indicate the child was left in a vehicle by accident, with both adults believing the other had removed the infant from the vehicle.
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According to the arrest report, the family came home from an all-day outing sometime between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Campbell told investigators when they got out of the vehicle he and another person "cleared out the van."
Because one of the other adults had not slept well the previous night, it was agreed that Campbell would take care of the children while the other person took a nap.
Three older children in the home were all brought inside and Campbell reportedly told investigators he set the kids up with a snack and a movie in a bedroom where the infant's crib was located. Statements from people in the home said the children left the bedroom to play in other parts of the house.
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The statements from Campbell and the other adult indicated that both believed the infant "had been taken out of the vehicle and put in his crib by the other," the arrest report said
The child was discovered approximately 7:30 p.m. when Campbell and the other adult went outside to clean up the vehicle. They found the infant unresponsive and still strapped into a car seat. They called 911 and attempted CPR, but the child could not be resuscitated.
Responding deputies did not find any obvious signs of trauma.
The report did indicate the child had a preexisting medical condition, though its exact nature is redacted from the report.
The arrest report, explaining the justification for a warrant for Campbell's arrest, said it was understood between the parents that Campbell would care for the children and noted, "Failing to check on a 10 month old with serious health issues for a period of 4 hours does constitute neglect and contributed to the death."
Campbell is being held in Santa Rosa County Jail on $100,000 bond, according to jail records.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Milton hot car death: Man charged with manslaughter in baby's death
