BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A Melbourne woman accused of leaving her 14-month-old son in a hot car several times over two days ultimately leading to his death was sentenced to 10 years in prison as part of a plea deal.
Emily Hartman, 26, of Palm Bay, was arrested April 17, 2019 on charges of aggravated manslaughter by child neglect, possession of cocaine with intent to sell and possession of marijuana.
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Police said 14-month-old Richard Wighard died of heatstroke two days after Hartman took him to a Melbourne fire station for help.
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Initially, Hartman told authorities that she and her son had just gone into a local grocery store to buy diapers and as she was driving away, she heard a gurgling noise and saw the boy having a seizure then drove him to a fire station, the affidavit said.
Investigators later determined Hartman made up the story and left her son alone in her car several times as she went to at least two Melbourne bars and went to a home to obtain marijuana and cocaine. After leaving a residence to buy cocaine, Hartman was on her way home when she heard the young boy gagging, authorities said. She then took him to the Melbourne firehouse where paramedics said he was suffering from a heat-related illness. An autopsy showed the 14-month-old suffered a fatal heatstroke.
Hartman entered a plea of guilty on Friday to aggravated manslaughter of a child, cocaine possession with intent to sell and marijuana possession.
As part of a plea agreement with the state, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison plus an additional 10 years of drug offender probation. The probation includes mandatory drug and alcohol testing and treatment. Violating her probation could result in Hartman serving an additional 10 years in prison.