Palm Bay mother charged in infant daughter's death after leaving her in hot car, police say
The mother whose 11-month-old daughter was left in a hot car as the woman rushed to officiate church services on Sunday was arrested Thursday and charged with the infant's death, Palm Bay police report.
Bulain Molme, 37, co-pastor at Mount of Olives Evangelical Baptist Church in Palm Bay, was charged with one count of aggravated manslaughter of a child after detectives worked with prosecutors to determine culpability in the case. Molme was booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex. Her bond was set at $15,000, jail records show.
More: Infant dies after being left in car for hours at Palm Bay church, police say
The child — whose birthday was this past week — was discovered unresponsive in the car about 1 p.m. Sunday as the parents oversaw services inside the church, a small storefront congregation off Babcock Street, police reported. Services at the church begin about 10:15 a.m., according to the church website.
Investigators said the father, also a pastor, arrived earlier to teach Sunday school.
His wife, Molme, arrived later with the couple’s four children. Detectives said Molme had arrived late for the service she was officiating and believed her daughter was taken inside by a church member.
Three hours later, as the services drew to a close, the mother looked around for the infant. When she realized that the child was not inside or with any of the members, Molme went to her vehicle, where she found her daughter still inside and unresponsive, police said.
Someone called 911 as efforts to revive the baby continued. Palm Bay Police arrived within moments and the child was taken to Palm Bay Hospital, where doctors later pronounced her dead, reports show.
The family did not immediately return calls. Whether state social workers were involved in the case and the status of the other children was not known late Thursday.
The church, according to an article published on the Florida Baptist Convention’s website, began with nine people in a nearby park. The congregation — predominantly Haitian — moved into the storefront location in 2019, with the Molmes commuting from Fort Lauderdale before moving to Palm Bay.
If convicted, Molme could face up to 30 years in state prison. No court dates have been set.
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Palm Bay police: Mother charged in death of child left in hot car
