Grandmother ‘Just Forgot’ Granddaughter in Hot Car, Months After Grandson Drowned in Her Care

A Florida grandmother faces charges in the hot car death of her granddaughter last fall, which happened less than a year after her grandson also died in her care.

Nix allegedly told investigators that she “just forgot” about the baby, according to the affidavit. It wasn’t until one of her other grandsons arrived at the home that it occurred to her that Uriel had been in the car all afternoon after returning home from lunch with friends, the affidavit alleges, WFTS reports.

Outside temperatures reached 90 degrees that day, the outlet reports.

The grandmother’s husband found the baby in the backseat of the SUV and attempted CPR but the child wasn’t able to be revived, according to the outlet.

William Fletcher, the attorney representing Nix, gave WFTS the following statement: “Because somebody dies doesn’t necessarily mean that somebody has to pay. This obviously was an accident and the question was — is it culpable negligence?”

It’s unclear if she has entered a plea to the charge.

“To think of the last moments of her life as a mother is gut-wrenching,” Uriel’s mother, Kaila Schock, said, per WFTS. She said she had asked her mother to babysit while she went out to get her hair done.

This isn’t the first time the family has faced tragedy. In 2021, just days before Christmas, Uriel’s 16-month-old brother Ezra also died while he was in Nix’s care, Kaila told WFTS. The toddler reportedly drowned in a nearby lake while Nix, a former school principal in Hardee County, was asleep.

Tracey Nix was never charged in connection with the death of Ezra. Citing the State Attorney’s Office, WFTS reports, there “was insufficient evidence to establish culpable negligence” in the 2021 incident.

A GoFundMe page was created shortly after Uriel’s death to help the couple cover funeral and therapy costs. It has since raised more than $22,000.