Juan, a 39 year old father from the Bronx whose one year old twins died after being left in a hot car last summer, has been sentenced, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s office.
The DA’s office said Juan appeared by video, pleaded guilty to second degree reckless endangerment and received a one year conditional discharge. That means he will not serve time behind bars. If he stays out of trouble during that year, the misdemeanor can be removed from his record.
According to the DA’s press release, Juan drove to work at a Bronx VA medical center on the morning of July 26, 2019, with the twins in the back seat. Prosecutors said the babies were left in the vehicle for nearly eight hours and that their body temperatures reached 108 degrees. First responders pronounced them dead at the scene.
The criminal complaint states that Juan told police he believed he had dropped the children off at daycare before heading to work.
District Attorney Darcel D. Clark said in a statement that the babies suffered horribly and deserved a thorough investigation. She added that she hopes caregivers stay extra vigilant about children in vehicles as the weather heats up.
Juan’s attorney, Joey Jackson, noted that tragedies like this happen across the country. His wife told CNN that she still loves her husband, believes he is a good father who would never have hurt their children on purpose, and said she will never get over the loss.
It is a heartbreaking story and a reminder to always double check the back seat.
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