Day care driver charged in boy’s hot van death

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida day care driver was charged Thursday in the death of a 3-yearold boy who authorities say was left in a van for nearly 12 hours.

Deborah Denise St. Charles, 51, was arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, Orlando police announced on social media. The Florida Department of Children and Families also announced that it is revoking the day care centre’s operating license and fining it $2,750.

St. Charles picked up Myles Hill at his home Monday morning. She was supposed to take him and five other children to Little Miracles Academy II in Orlando. After dropping off the children, St. Charles drove the van to another Little Miracles location and left it there. Myles was found dead Monday night after spending the entire day in the summer heat. A medical examiner has called the death an accident, listing its cause as hyperthermia as a result of environmental exposure.

The DCF report lists multiple violations committed by St. Charles and other staff members. St. Charles reportedly failed to conduct a sweep of the van after dropping off the children, and day care staff failed to perform a secondary sweep. The report says too many children were riding in the van, and an 11-year-old was sitting in the front passenger seat, a violation of Florida rules. Myles was marked present Monday when he wasn’t actually in class.

Audrey Thornton, the owner of the two Little Miracles locations, apologized to Myles’ family during a news conference at her attorney’s office Wednesday.