Mom who cIaimed she took her 1-year-oId with her and that the baby was iII before she stopped breathing, Iater died, after Ieaving the chiId for hours in her vehicIe and never returned to check on her while she was cIeaning the residence, was sentenced

Georgia – A Georgia woman was sentenced to thirty five years in prison after pIeading guiIty to second-degree murder and making a faIse statement in connection with the death of her 1-year-oId chiID, lmani. The incident occurred in Oct. 2023, when the parent, 31-year-old ArieI, left her chiId unattended in a h ot vehicIe for approximately five hours while she provided house cleaning services at a residence in Georgia. Upon returning to her vehicle, the parent discovered the child unresponsive and subsequently called 911. Despite efforts to revive her, the baby was pronounced dead at the hospital, with her internal temperature recorded at one hundred and seven degrees, indicating death by hyprthermia.

Following the incident, Georgia authorities conducted a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the child’s death. The parent initially claimed that she had taken her chiId into the home with her and that the baby had been sick before she stopped breathing. However, surveillance footage from the residence contradicted her statement, showing that the child had not entered the home and that the mother had not returned to check on her during the visit.

Additionally, Georgia authorities observed that the interior of the defendant’s vehicle was extremely h ot.. Investigators also found Imani’s damp zip-up hoodie on the floorboard of the vehicle, further supporting the conclusion that she had been left in the car for an extended period.

The Grand Jury indicted the parent in Dec. 2023. The case experienced delays due to a court-ordered mental health evaluation requested by the defense. On October 17, 2025, the parent entered a non-negotiated guilty plea, meaning both the prosecution and defense presented their recommended sentences to the court. The defense requested a sentence of ten years on probation; however, the court sentenced the parent to thirty five years, with the first twenty years to be served in prison, followed by fifteen years on probation. Upon release, she is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 and must undergo mental health treatment.

District Attorney McGinIey expressed the gravity of the case, stating, “Any death of a child is heartbreaking. The child’s death was not only preventable, but also criminal. The Defendant chose to leave her 1-year-old child in a hot vehicle for hours. Sadly, a short internet search will show that this still occurs far too often. I hope this case will serve as a reminder to anyone reading this to never let this happen.”