A tragic case of child neglect in Arizona has unveiled a pattern of alleged abuse spanning more than a decade. The father at the center of the case, who recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of his two-year-old daughter, reportedly had a long history of locking his children in parked vehicles.
The toddler, Parker, died in July 2024 after being left inside a car for three hours on a day when temperatures reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit in Tucson. The father admitted to forgetting the child was in the vehicle while he was indoors.
New allegations, detailed in a civil lawsuit filed in late October, claim this was not an isolated incident. A 17-year-old daughter from a previous relationship has stated she was subjected to the same treatment when she was a young child, alleging a pattern of endangerment that began over ten years ago. The lawsuit, filed on her behalf, accuses the father and his current wife of causing emotional distress and physical harm.
According to the suit, the alleged abuse occurred over several years. The teenager described the experience as life-altering, stating she is not the same person she was before. Records indicate multiple complaints were made to child safety authorities during that period, though they were reportedly unsubstantiated at the time.
Following the younger child’s death, other children in the household also told investigators they were regularly left in locked cars.
The father was scheduled to be taken into custody this week after his guilty plea, which carried a sentence of 30 years. He was found dead on Tuesday. The timing of the lawsuit’s emergence coincides with these recent events, painting a broader picture of the circumstances leading to the fatal incident last summer.
