Father pleads guilty in toddler's hot car death
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A Southwest Michigan father has entered a guilty plea in connection to the death of his 3-year-old son, who died after being left in a hot car in August.
, 36, of Athens, Michigan, pleaded guilty to leaving a child in a vehicle causing death, court documents show. The documents say sentencing guidelines call for between 15 and 25 months in prison but that the prosecutor's office will not make any sentencing recommendation. They also say that the child's mother, Martin's wife, feels a harsh sentence would be 'more a punishment to' the family.
The toddler was discovered dead in Martin's SUV on the at a Family Fare in Vicksburg. The death was believed to have been the result of prolonged heat exhaustion, with the temperature that day higher than 80 degrees.
Police reports outline day of toddler's hot car death
Police reports from the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office obtained by News 8 show Martin told investigators nothing was different about the family's routine the day his son died. He said he wasn't running late, had been sleeping normally and doesn't use sleeping aids or recreational drugs or drink.
'I guess I went straight to work,' the report says he told investigators when he was interviewed.
Martin arrived at his job at a plant in Brady Township, just outside of the Vicksburg limits, around 6:40 a.m., the reports show. He left around 3 p.m. and then stopped by the Family Fare. He was inside for a few minutes and when he came out, he realized his son was still in the car, buckled into in a rear-facing car seat in the driver's side back seat. The boy was dead by then.
Doctor offers warning after toddler's hot car death near Vicksburg
Martin was charged in November, with prosecutors explaining that under state law, it didn't matter whether he meant to leave the child in the car or not.
'In fact, they generally in these cases just have forgotten about the child rather than wanting to harm them,' Kalamazoo County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Williams told News 8 at the time.
Martin remains out of jail on a personal recognizance bond pending a March 17 sentencing hearing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
GVSU holds fourth annual Black Boys & Men National Symposium
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Valley State University is holding its fourth annual Black Boys and Men National Symposium Wednesday through Friday. Wednesday's event was held at the JW Marriott Hotel in Grand Rapids. Thursday's and Friday's events will be at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Judge Greg Mathis gave a keynote address on Wednesday and spoke with the media beforehand. He addressed his experiences and how they played a pivotal role in shaping the message that he wanted to share with the audience. 'This is an issue that is dear to me,' Mathis said. 'Having been a street youth, in and out of juvenile and tried for carrying a gun as an adult at age 17, I know the life that many of our young people are subjected to living in poverty. And having their education fail them. And so, I think I am uniquely qualified to talk about this.' GVSU to hold third Black Boys and Men Symposium Mathis, a Detroit native, said a piece of his message was focused on keeping children on the best path possible, regardless of the challenges they may face in the household. 'We can't let the child fall through the cracks,' he said. 'That's one of the things I've always advocated for and that is we must save the child even if we can't save the household. And that's part of what we're going to be discussing. Solutions to keep a child from falling through the cracks. And particularly as it relates to black boys and black men who have an additional burden based on the stereotypes that have been perpetuated that we are typically angry criminals.' Mathis noted his professional challenges, such as running for judge, going to law school and becoming a lawyer as opportunities he used to his benefit, rather than being deterred. 'My obstacles, each one of them I flipped,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Showdown brewing after lawmakers' defunding of Gallup District Attorney's Office
Jun. 11—SANTA FE — The district attorney in McKinley County is facing the defunding of her office in just three weeks, after a simmering debate over prosecution rates prompted lawmakers to take the rare step of stripping state funds for an elected official. District Attorney Bernadine Martin said Wednesday attempts to "remedy" the situation are in the works, including a possible working agreement with San Juan County District Attorney Jack Fortner. She also did not rule out filing a court challenge. The showdown was set in motion when lawmakers approved a $10.8 billion state budget bill in March that does not include any base funding for employee salaries and benefits in Martin's office. Instead, the bill that takes effect next month earmarks $1.9 million for the district attorney in neighboring San Juan County to prosecute cases in McKinley County. It also provides an additional $1.9 million for contract attorneys to be hired in the district. Martin, who is the state's first female Navajo district attorney, was reelected last year as the top prosecutor for the second division of the 11th Judicial District. She said the defunding holds her "hostage" and prevents her from performing her elected duties. "Because he got my money doesn't mean he runs my office," she said in a Wednesday interview, referring to the San Juan County district attorney. Martin also said her office currently has 24 full-time employees, including investigators, victim advocates and administrative staff. But Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said he was approached by judges, other prosecutors and Chief Public Defender Ben Baur about an alarmingly low number of prosecutions in McKinley County and Martin's management of the District Attorney's Office. He added Martin has not shown up for legislative budget hearings in several years, and said defunding her office was the only way to ensure cases move forward. "If cases aren't getting prosecuted and judges are telling me we're in the worst shape in the state, my job as a legislator is to step up and do something," Muñoz told the Journal. "This is the only place we can really handcuff her and make sure criminal cases get prosecuted," he added, saying some employees from Martin's office had also approached him with concerns about management practices involving the use of overtime. Law enforcement awaiting resolution While Albuquerque has primarily been the focus of legislative attempts to improve public safety in recent years, Gallup has also struggled with high crime and addiction rates. The city's violent crime rate has actually decreased in recent years, but Gallup still had the state's highest violent crime rate as of 2022, with roughly 1,500 such incidents per 100,000 residents, according to legislative data. McKinley County Sheriff James Maiorano said Wednesday the lack of attorneys in Martin's office prompted him to refer a vehicular homicide case to Attorney General Raúl Torrez's office several years ago. He said the situation has somewhat improved since Martin hired two contract attorneys to handle cases, but said the set-up is still far from ideal. "You may be the best attorney in the world, but when you get to 400 or 500 cases per attorney, things are going to fall through the cracks," Maiorano said. Due to chronic staffing issues, the District Attorney's Office in Gallup has had by far the state's highest average caseload for attorneys in recent years. During the first quarter of the current budget year, the figure hit 2,822 cases per attorney, according to Legislative Finance Committee data. In addition, only 18 cases went to trial in the judicial district last year, out of nearly 1,500 cases that were referred to the office, according to data compiled by Muñoz's office. Martin acknowledged this week her largely rural District Attorney's Office has struggled to attract applicants for attorney positions. But she said that problem is not unique to her office, citing similarly low staffing rates at the local public defender's office. How the defunding vote played out This year's budget bill initially included $3.3 million for the District Attorney's Office in McKinley County, along with additional funding for contract attorneys. But after the bill was approved by the House, it was amended in the Senate Finance Committee. One of those changes involved stripping the funding for the District Attorney's Office out of the bill, and adding budget language stipulating new cases in the county would be handled by Fortner, the newly-elected district attorney in San Juan County. Though several senators expressed concern about the change, the bill passed the Senate on a 24-16 vote and was then ratified by the House. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the budget bill into law in April, leaving the altered funding plan intact. A Lujan Grisham spokesman declined to comment on the situation Wednesday, while Fortner did not respond to a message seeking comment. Maiorano, the local sheriff, described the situation as delicate, citing state law that empowers district attorneys to decide whether to move forward with cases or dismiss them. "We are all holding our breath for July 1," he said, referring to the date the new state budget takes effect.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘We want our park back': Ontario Beach Park visitors react to new security measures
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Although Ontario Beach Park remains a popular summer destination for many across Rochester, some have expressed worries following a fight which broke out there last week. This resulted in a man's arrest for possessing an illegal gun with a high-capacity magazine while at the park. News 8 spoke with folks attending the weekly 'Concerts by the Shore' series about their reaction to last week's fight. John & Mary DeGrazia, both city residents, say they've attended concerts in the park every year for the last 37 years and have never felt unsafe. 'The years that we've come here, we've never seen a fight, ever,' John said. 'I was kind of surprised to see and hear about it.' The disruption caused by the fight has frustrated many, including city resident Kim Canton. 'We come here and meet some wonderful people, and for these other people to come in and ruin for us, it's a terrible shame,' Canton said. In response to the safety concerns, county leaders announced changes in patrol and security procedures at the park. This includes an increased law enforcement presence and the installation of four gates at entry and exit points. Mary Ann Newland, who has attended Concerts by the Shore for many years, expressed worry that these measures won't be enough. 'I think that the older folks, if they get shut out by the gates, they're not going to come back,' Newland said. 'They also want to close off the parking lot, but I don't see that working because a lot of these kids come on busses.' Others, including Ontario Beach Park Committee Member Fred Amato, thinks the county's response is necessary. 'If more people come here and think they're going to take the park over, acting like idiots, I think the police are going to be doing something they should be doing,' Amato said. 'We want our park back. It's our park, it belongs to all of us.' More details about the new gates to be installed at Ontario Beach Park can be found here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
