NC man with special needs dies in hot car while caretaker went to 2nd job, sheriff says

A Warren County man faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly leaving a disabled man in his care in a hot car for hours, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

According to a news release, Rogers Lee Inge Jr., 55, of Warrenton, called 911 at 4:43 p.m. Tuesday while driving to report “he was responsible for the death of an individual who was in his vehicle.”

The operator told Inge to pull over at a fire department in Clayton, where Emergency Medical Services personnel found Dotarious Batts, 22, also of Warrenton, dead in the vehicle, the release said.

Police said Inge, Batts’ full-time caretaker through Universal Health Care, held a second job as a janitor at Cleveland High School and allegedly left Batts in his vehicle with the windows up and the engine off when he reported to the school at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

“Mr. Batts was identified as a special needs adult who could not care for himself,” the release said.

According to Weather Underground , temperatures peaked around 80 degrees Fahrenheit in Clayton on Tuesday. On a day like that, the temperature inside a car can reach 109 degrees Fahrenheit within 20 minutes, according to a graphic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Mr. Inge stated he checked on Mr. Batts at approximately 10 a.m. and he was fine,” the release continued.

By the time Inge returned at 4:17 p.m., Batts was dead, according to the release. Inge then left the school and called 911.

Inge’s bail was set at $35,000 secured, the release said. Detention records show he posted bail early Wednesday morning.