Babysitter charged after toddler left in SUV for hours, state police say
By Veronica Haynes
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EDGARTOWN, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A Martha’s Vineyard woman is facing charges after a 3-year-old in her care was found unresponsive after she left him alone in an SUV for several hours last week, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Aimee Cotton, 40, of Oak Bluffs, was charged in Edgartown District Court with assault and battery on a child with injury and reckless child endangerment.
According to state police, the incident happened while Cotton was babysitting the 3-year-old and a 1-year-old girl in West Tisbury on Thursday. At about 1:15 p.m., Cotton called 911, saying the boy was not breathing and turning blue in the back of her Chevy Tahoe, according to state police.
The boy was taken to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and was later flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. As of Friday, the boy remained unresponsive and in critical condition, state police said.
According to a state police report, Cotton told investigators she brought the children into her home where they played, ate lunch and had diaper changes. A few hours later, she said she brought the children back out to the SUV, and proceeded to load other items including hockey equipment into the Tahoe. She told police the children may have been alone during that time for 10-15 minutes.
She said she then noticed the boy looked “sick and ill,” was unresponsive and not breathing. She said she removed the child from the car seat, called 911 and performed CPR until first responders arrived.
But state police said Nest surveillance footage from Cotton’s home shows the children were alone in the SUV for about three hours, specifically during the time she said they were in her home playing and eating.
Cotton is seen on camera bringing items to her SUV shortly before the 911 call, but there is no video showing the children exiting or returning to the vehicle earlier in the day, according to the police report.
Cotton later admitted to investigators she did leave the children unsupervised for several hours while she did chores inside, according to state police.
Cotton pleaded not guilty and will return to court on April 28.
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