A mom accused of leaving her 10-month-old child inside a scorching automotive as she labored a shift at a Wendy’s in Louisiana was sentenced to 5 years in jail in her daughter’s demise, a district lawyer introduced.
Hannah Religion Cormier introduced her toddler to work on August 13, 2024, and later, advised police that she had forgotten her daughter was nonetheless within the car after she went inside for work, KPLC reported. Based on police, temperatures contained in the automotive reached between 140 and 150-degrees.
Later that day, Cormier’s child was seen at a hospital in Jennings, the place Cormier advised workers that her child had been within the automotive for about an hour and a half, the Jennings Police Division stated in an August 14, 2024, information launch. Jennings is a few 90-mile drive southwest from Baton Rouge.
The warmth index outdoors the automotive was greater than 106 levels as Cormier, then 32, labored at Wendy’s, in accordance with police, KADN-TV reported. Her daughter in the end died on the hospital.
On Wednesday, January 21, a decide sentenced Cormier to 5 years of imprisonment, with exhausting labor, “with out advantage of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence” in her child’s demise, the Jeff Davis Parish District Lawyer’s Workplace stated in a information launch.
“The demise of any baby is heartbreaking and shedding this 10-month-old child has deeply affected our entire neighborhood,” District Lawyer Lauren Heinen stated in an announcement. “No sentence can carry her again or take away the ache everybody feels.”
“This was a tough case with tragic circumstances, however each baby deserves to be protected,” Heinen added.
Data on Cormier’s authorized illustration was not instantly obtainable on Friday, January 23.
Just a few months after her daughter’s demise, Cormier was indicted on a negligent murder cost, in accordance with the district lawyer’s workplace.
Cormier in the end pleaded no contest to the cost, the workplace introduced in July 2025.
Louisiana regulation defines negligent murder “because the killing of a human being by prison negligence,” the district lawyer’s workplace stated.
Jennings Police Chief Danny Semmes beforehand stated that investigators consider that Cormier “deliberately took the kid to work and left her within the scorching automotive, not with the intent to do hurt to the kid, however by her actions, hurt was precipitated,” in accordance with KADN-TV.
Cormier’s daughter’s physique temperature was measured at 109 levels on the hospital on August 13, 2024, in accordance with police, the Related Press reported. Police stated the lady died from a warmth stroke.
Since Cormier’s child was youthful than 10 years previous, she was required to face an enhanced penalty below state regulation — particularly serving jail time with exhausting labor, in accordance with the district lawyer’s workplace. She was additionally required to not be allowed probation, parole or a suspension of her sentence.
“This case has drawn important public consideration all through the authorized proceedings, reflecting our neighborhood’s collective grief over the lack of an harmless life,” the district lawyer’s workplace stated.
For those who or somebody you already know is experiencing baby abuse, name or textual content Baby Assist Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
