A 22-year-old mother from Georgia is facing charges of Second Degree Cruelty to Children and Second Degree Murder following the death of her 7-month-old son. Nyla Simmons was arrested on November 3 by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in relation to the incident that occurred on October 16. The authorities allege that Simmons left her infant son in her car while she worked at a Kia automotive dealership in Albany, approximately 80 miles from Columbus.
After finishing her shift, Simmons discovered her son in the car and rushed him five miles to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Unfortunately, the infant was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office was then summoned to the hospital to investigate the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.
On the day of the incident, temperatures in the area soared to as high as 90 degrees, as reported by AccuWeather. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation apprehended Simmons at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office without any resistance on November 3. She is currently detained at the Lee County Jail and could face a prison sentence of up to 40 years if convicted.
The body of the infant was sent for an autopsy on October 17, according to Lee County Coroner Hill Mackey. The cause of death is still under investigation, and Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler explained that cases involving children can often take a significant amount of time to investigate. He stated that if there are no visible injuries or trauma to the child, the investigation must wait for toxicology and histology reports to determine the cause of death.
Simmons, a mother of two, was known to be a loving and caring parent who frequently shared photos and updates of her children on social media. Following her son’s death, she expressed gratitude on Facebook for the “genuine love and support” she received from those who reached out to her.
According to the Kids and Cars Safety organization, since 1995, 26 children have died in Georgia due to being left in hot cars. Nationwide, over 1,100 children have died in similar circumstances since 1990, with 88% of these fatalities being children aged three years or younger. On average, 40 children die each year from heatstroke inside a vehicle across the United States.