Caretaker Charged With Manslaughter For Leaving Disabled Man To Die In Hot Car In West Covina
SAN DIMAS (CBSLA) – A 25-year-old caretaker has been charged with manslaughter, accused of leaving disabled man in a hot car in West Covina for so long in August of 2018 that he died.
Emanuel Arellano surrendered to deputies in San Dimas Thursday morning on one count of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 51-year-old Timothy Cortinas, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office reports. He is also charged with one count of dependent care abuse resulting in death.
On the night of Aug. 3, 2018, L.A. County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the 300 block of South Frankfurt Avenue where they found Cortinas suffering from a medical emergency. He died at the scene.
Investigators later learned that Cortinas had likely been left sitting in a car parked outside Arellano's residence for several hours amid triple-digit temperatures.
Cortinas was developmentally disabled and only spoke a few words.
"That particular day, it was like 110 to 112 outside," his mother, Irene Melendez, told CBS2 in an interview last October. "So my son fried to death."
According to authorities, Cortinas' care home -- Holy Family Children's Care – called authorities within hours of Timothy not coming back from his day program. Holy Family told deputies it did not have Arellano's phone number to call him.
Melendez has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Holy Family Children's Care, along with the San Gabriel Pomona Regional Developmental Center and Easterseals. The suit alleges negligent hiring, neglect of a dependent adult and false imprisonment.
A warrant had been issued for Arellano's arrest Tuesday prior to his surrender. He is being held on $50,000 bail.