Police have arrested the caretaker of a 35-year-old man with Down syndrome who died in a hot car.
The victim, John Lapointe, was non-verbal and had the cognitive ability of a one-year-old. Police say his caretaker, 26-year-old Joshua Russell, fell asleep in a parked minivan after using the recreational drug Kratom, with Lapointe still in the backseat.
When Russell awoke 2-3 hours later covered in sweat. He attempted CPR on Lapointe but was unsuccessful.
Police aren’t sure why Russell was able to survive the heat inside the vehicle, estimated to be around 125 degrees. He was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated manslaughter.
Source: https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/regional/florida/florida-man-down-syndrome-hot-car/283-1d659534-d448-42b6-8db2-8f1d0dd8d9be