A foster mother whose 1-year-old baby died in Puyallup last year after she unknowingly left him in a hot car made a "tragic mistake," according to Pierce County's top prosecutor. The woman will not face criminal charges.
Steven Kopp of Graham died May 18, 2023, in the parking lot of MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital. In a July 30 memo explaining her decision not to file charges, Prosecutor Mary Robnett wrote that the boy's foster mother had admitted full responsibility and the community would not be served by punishing her further. She added that based on a similar 1996 case in Pierce County and national data, a conviction was unlikely.
"There is no concern that the foster mother will commit this type of act again herself, and criminalizing her tragic mistake will not deter others from making similar future mistakes," Robnett said.
When children are unknowingly left in a vehicle, national data indicates that about 50 percent of cases result in criminal charges, according to Robnett, and about 31-47 percent of those result in conviction. She said there were eight such deaths in Washington between 1996 and 2003.
In this case, Robnett said she had no doubt the baby was unknowingly left in the car. The foster mother was exhausted, recovering from COVID-19 and anxious about her new job. When the incident occurred, a Puyallup Police Department spokesperson said the woman, then age 47, was a case manager at the hospital.
She dropped off multiple kids at different locations on her way to work. She had planned to drop off Steven at daycare, too, but Robnett said she "literally forgot" she hadn't done so. On her way to work, a change in her routine resulted in her purse being in the front seat instead of the back. Robnett said the woman was anxious because she was running late, and she backed into a parking spot with a backup camera instead of looking over her shoulder.
As she parked, Robnett said the woman was further distracted by colleagues in the lot.
It was a warm day. Temperatures reached a high of 75 degrees near Seatac, according to Weather Underground. Police responded to the Puyallup hospital for a 911 call at about 6:16 p.m. Robnett said the foster mother's account of what happened was captured on video. She said interviews with both foster parents were "heartbreaking."
The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office determined Steven's cause of death was hyperthermia and ruled it an accident.
Most unintentional cases like Steven's death result from a parent or caregiver who is exhausted, tired or overwhelmed with circumstances, according to Robnett. She said there's often a change of routine, and the parent literally forgets the sleeping or quiet child in the car while on a sort of "autopilot."
The only other case of the kind handled by the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office was in 1996. Robnett said a young and single mother was out all night, then intentionally left her infant in the car when she came home. She then inadvertently fell asleep, woke up hours later and found her daughter dead in her car seat.
Prosecutors charged the woman with manslaughter. At trial, the jury unanimously acquitted the woman. Robnett said that according to news reports, elected prosecutor John Ladenburg called it a benchmark case. He reportedly said these would always be close cases, but that prosecutors had a duty to step up for the child.
Robnett said she found the woman in the Puyallup case to be less culpable, and she did not believe a jury would convict her of manslaughter.
"Let's hope future mistakes of this kind will be avoided by raising public awareness and education," Robnett said. "Technology is also catching up as some newer cars warn the driver to check the backseat."
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