CLAYTON, NC — A North Carolina caregiver has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after admitting he left a nonverbal man with autism in a hot car while he worked a second job as a school janitor, resulting in the man’s death. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of Rogers Lee Inge Jr., 55, on Tuesday in connection with the death of 22-year-old Dontarius Batts.
The tragic incident unfolded on Tuesday morning when Inge left Batts in his car in the parking lot of Cleveland High School in Clayton, located nearly 20 miles southeast of Raleigh. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Inge left Batts in the vehicle at 8 a.m. while he began his janitorial shift at the school.
Inge checked on Batts at approximately 10 a.m., telling police later that “he was fine.” However, when Inge returned to his vehicle at the end of his shift, over six hours later at 4:17 p.m., Batts was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
Inge left the school and called 911 at 4:43 p.m., reportedly admitting during the call that “he was responsible for the death of an individual who was in his vehicle,” according to officials.
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office has charged Inge with involuntary manslaughter as the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Batts’ death continues. The case has drawn significant attention due to the vulnerabilities of Batts, who was nonverbal and had autism, and the tragic consequences of leaving him unattended in the hot car.