A Nevada man may not receive any jail time after his mother died in a hot car during his eight-hour shift at work.
Edward Sibley has previously been charged with felony elderly abuse; however, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charger earlier this month. And now, he could possibly not serve any jail time for leaving his mother in a hot car for eight hours. The incident happened back in the summer of 2020 when the two were homeless, living in motels and their car in Reno, PEOPLE reports. On July 14, Sibley went to work and left his 81-year-old mother in the car while it 96 degrees outside, according to KRNV-TV.
PEOPLE reports the woman was wearing a T-shirt and a diaper. Sibley took off for work, but he left the car keys behind so she could turn on the air conditioner. Instead of turning the air on, the woman reportedly died from the intense heat.
Sibley told police that he visited her during his lunch and brought her a burrito. At that time, Sibley says the woman was “OK.” The police reports stated Sibley’s mother “had no cell phone, was unable to walk, unable to drive, and unable to seek shade from the heat and sun.” It wasn’t until two workers at Sibley’s job noticed the woman sitting in the parking lot and called an ambulance. The woman died later that day; police report her core temperature was 106 degrees.
“That hinged on poor choices, very difficult circumstances. There was homelessness involved, there were certainly attempts to care, but the bad decision really hinged on the circumstances of that day,” said Michelle Bays, a spokeswoman for the Washoe County District Attorney. “There wasn’t proof or evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, and there really wasn’t evidence at all to prove that he had any intent to cause harm.”
The news outlet reports that Sibley could land himself in jail for one year, but prosecutors are reportedly suggesting he only get probation.
