MILFORD, Maine (TCN) —Â A 40-year-old mother is in custody after deputies reportedly found her young daughter and a dog deceased inside a vehicle.
On the night of Aug. 9, Maine State Police said the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to a business, where they located a 3-year-old child, identified by WCSH-TV as Fiona Brown, and a dog deceased. Investigators learned the vehicle was owned by the girl’s mother, Kelly Brown of Pennsylvania.
The child’s cause and manner of death are pending additional studies, but there was evidence of hyperthermia, which was most likely the cause of death. According to court documents reviewed by WCSH, investigators believe the girl had been left in the car for nearly 15 hours.
Family members reportedly told police that Kelly Brown claimed to be hallucinating and hearing voices. Brown allegedly told officials those voices instructed her what to do.
At the time of the incident, Brown, her daughter, and their 13-year-old dog were reportedly visiting relatives in Maine, but Brown’s mother reported her missing after no contact for several days.
According to WCSH, police found the child and dog locked inside the vehicle and had to break the window to get in.
In an interview with police, Brown reportedly claimed she and her daughter were cleaning up trash during the trip, and she would leave the toddler and dog in the car. Brown allegedly said she tried to pick up trash but slipped and was swept away into the Penobscot River. However, police reportedly noted that her clothes were not wet, and her statement was inconsistent with surveillance footage.
State police arrested Brown on Aug. 10 on a charge of manslaughter. Brown initially appeared in court on Aug. 11.
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