1 Y.O. Toddler Dead After Being Left In Hot Van By Daycare Worker
A daycare worker has been charged in the death of one-year-old Ra’Miyah Worthington after leaving the toddler in a hot van, WOWT 6 News reports.
Worthington was reportedly left behind in a Kidz of the Future Child Development Center‘s transportation van on Monday (Aug. 21) in Omaha, NE.
Per reports, the daycare’s personal van was used on Monday morning to pick up Worthington and two of her siblings, but only her siblings were taken out of the van upon returning home. Reportedly, authorities believe Worthington was left in the van for around five hours before being found, according to video surveillance.
“It had to be around eight in the morning — eight in the morning,” stated Worthington’s mother Sina Johnson to 6 News on Tuesday (Aug. 22). “We didn’t get a call until 3 PM. My daughter could have been in there eight, seven hours, no windows down, no nothing. Screaming. Crying. Nobody heard anything. Everybody’s in this building while she’s literally outside in the parking lot.”
The Omaha PD stated in a press release on Monday (Aug. 21), “The Omaha Police Department’s Child Special Victims Unit is investigating the death of a one-year-old child at 5001 Leavenworth Street. Officers responded to Kidz of the Future Childcare at 3:06 p.m. Monday for an unresponsive child who was left in a van.”
Upon the toddler’s discovery, she was taken to Nebraska Medical Center where she was sadly pronounced dead. Now the van’s driver, Ryan Williams, 62, has been arrested on the charge of child abuse by neglect resulting in death. An investigation of the incident is active.
Worthington’s mother, Sina Johnson told ABC News during a rally, “My baby did not come home. Her siblings did. She didn’t. How did y’all forget her? Y’all picked all of ’em up, took ’em off the van. How did y’all forget my baby? My baby suffered, she suffered.”
“I’m not comprehending how this could have even possibly happened,” Worthington’s father, Reeyon, stated. “The daycare picks them up in the morning, early in the morning. My thing is how can you forget a kid that you yourself put into the vehicle, but you took the other two off? How do you forget one when you take two off the van? How did you forget my baby?”
According to the father, his daughter was never checked into the daycare on the day of her death, after looking at the daycare’s app. A GoFundMe has now been created for Worthington’s family to help with funeral costs.
“To help out with funeral arrangements, household expenses and the care of Ra’Miyah’s 5 other siblings, I am asking anyone who has the means to donate to please do so, even if it’s just $1 so that her family can properly grieve during this extremely difficult time. Thank you,” the GoFundMe reads.
VIBE sends condolences to Ra’Miyah Worthington’s family.
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