Foster Mother Charged After Infant’s Death in Hot Car Incident

HAMLET, North Carolina — A foster mother was charged with involuntary manslaughter after the death of a 7-month-old girl left in a hot car. Djuna Bostick, 29, was arrested Friday following the incident on June 10, where temperatures reached 90 degrees.

Police responded to a medical emergency call at approximately 6:04 p.m. on Charlotte Street, according to court documents. Officers found the baby unresponsive inside Bostick’s minivan and immediately performed life-saving measures. Despite these efforts, the infant was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Investigators reported that the infant died due to extreme heat exposure while inside the vehicle. Djuna Bostick is currently detained at the Richmond County Jail with a bond set at $500,000. The case remains under investigation.

This tragic incident is part of a growing trend of hot car fatalities involving children. The advocacy group Kids and Car Safety reported 29 deaths in 2023 and 41 in 2024. In just the first six months of 2025, there have already been six recorded incidents of this nature.

According to the organization, many of these tragedies result from unintentional circumstances rather than directly from neglect. Janette Fennell, president of Kids and Car Safety, advocates for automotive manufacturers to install occupant detection technology in vehicles to prevent these types of fatalities.

“As we continue our efforts, children are still dying, week after week. It’s heartbreaking,” Fennell said. “Automakers need not wait for legislation. They have a responsibility to include this life-saving technology in cars immediately.”