HOUSTON – A man whose 6-year-old daughter killed her 1-year-old brother when he left the two alone in a vehicle while he shopped in northeast Houston faces abandonment charges, according to court records.
The incident was reported shortly after noon May 20 at The Family Thrift Store at 12001 East Freeway.
Adrian Dreshuan Middleton Sr., 26, is accused of leaving the children alone in the vehicle for an hour and a half to shop, according to court records.
While Middleton shopped, the 6-year-old girl told investigators she was playing with her 1-year-old brother and he started to cry and she got angry, according to court records.
The girl told investigators she wrapped a seat belt around his neck and thought he was asleep, but he was dead, according to court documents.
Middleton told investigators he was only in the store for 30-45 minutes, but surveillance video showed he was in the store from 10:45 a.m. until 12:15 p.m., according to court records.
Middleton, 26, said when he returned to the vehicle, his daughter was crying and said she had done something bad, according to court records.
According to investigators, Middleton said when he looked for his son, he found the boy unresponsive in the back seat of the vehicle with a seat belt wrapped around his neck.
Police said he called 911 and the boy was taken to Texas Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Middleton turned himself into police custody Monday afternoon.