BLOUNT COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — The grandfather of a 2-year-old boy who died after being left for hours in a hot car in Oneonta will soon be facing charges in his death.
William Wiesman, 56, is facing reckless manslaughter criminally negligent homicide warrants in the death of his grandson, Ian, who was found in a truck outside of Kid’s Campus Inc., a daycare facility located along Highway 75, just after 3 p.m. Tuesday.
During a press conference Wednesday, Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey said that based on the investigation, Wiesman had picked up his grandson that morning, went straight to his place of business, and left the child in his truck. Casey said that Wiesman returned to the truck on three different occasions, but indicated to officers that he had thought he had brought the child to daycare.
It was not until Wiesman received a call from the child’s mother about how the daycare had not seen the child that day that he drove to the Kid’s Campus. discovered the child in the backseat. A family member then found the child in the backseat.
“As a result of his behavior and his acts, the child died from a prolonged exposure to heat,” Casey said.
Casey, who has two children of her own, became emotional during the press conference.
“My heart breaks for this family,” she said. “As a mom, I don’t think anybody ever understands it. I didn’t sleep last night. I don’t understand it.”
Earlier this summer, a 6-month-old baby died after being left for hours in a hot car in Cullman. Two people–Lauren Whittle and Vinton Rockwell– were subsequently arrested and charged with manslaughter.
Casey said Wiesman was at the Blount County Sheriff’s Office that afternoon, but that he had not been arrested or put into custody yet.