South Carolina Woman Charged in Infant’s Hot Car Death Released on Bond
WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, S.C. — A woman charged in the death of a 4-month-old baby left inside a hot car has been released from jail on bond, authorities confirmed this week.
Infant Found Unresponsive in Car
Police said the incident happened outside a Dollar General in Kingstree, where officers responded alongside EMS to reports of an unresponsive infant in a vehicle that was not running.
The baby, identified as Xy’mere Bishop Miller, was transported to MUSC Health Black River Medical Center with a body temperature of 107 degrees. He was later pronounced dead, according to Williamsburg County Coroner Ivori Henryhand.
Caregiver Charged With Homicide by Child Abuse
The caregiver, Armina Lavette Seal-Middleton, 52, of Salters, was arrested on August 26 and charged with homicide by child abuse. She had been awarded custody of the baby shortly after his birth, despite not being a blood relative.
Court records show Seal-Middleton posted a $25,000 personal-recognizance bond and was released from jail on Saturday.
Family Raises Concerns Over Custody
During a court hearing last week, the baby’s grandfather revealed that relatives had been working for nearly two months to obtain custody of the child. The boy’s parents, originally from Charleston, had agreed for Seal-Middleton to serve as caregiver following his removal from his mother’s care.
Seal-Middleton’s own sister spoke at the hearing, saying her sibling was in poor health and should not have been entrusted with the responsibility of caring for an infant.
Community Left Shaken by Tragedy
The baby’s death has renewed attention on South Carolina’s child custody system and raised questions about how caregivers are evaluated before being granted responsibility for vulnerable children.
Advocates stress that hot car deaths remain an ongoing danger in the Southeast, where summer temperatures can rise rapidly inside vehicles. Even a few minutes in a parked car can prove fatal for infants and young children.
This case highlights the devastating consequences of leaving a child in a vehicle, as well as the complexities surrounding custody decisions. Do you think South Carolina should implement stricter requirements for non-relative caregivers? Share your perspective with us at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
