Down Syndrome Man Dies In Florida

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Florida police detained a 26-year-old man Friday in connection with the death of a boy with Down syndrome who died when they were both locked in a car that reached high temperatures while the caregiver fell asleep.

Spokesmen for Pinellas County Police confirmed the arrest of Joshua D. Russell for the death of John Lapointe, 35, after several weeks of investigation.

According to police on May 9, the suspect took Lapointe to a medical appointment. As he left, Russell made a stop at his home where he "swallowed two packages of kratom, a substance derived from a [Asian] plant that is used as a recreational drug," said spokesmen for the sheriff's office.

Later Russell took Lapointe to the home where he lived, located in the town of Seminole, but upon arriving at the place Russell felt "tired and nauseous" and turned off the engine of the van where they were both traveling.

The suspect said to the police that he took a nap in the car while Lapointe remained in the back. The deceased, explained through the statement, "had the non-verbal and cognitive abilities of a one-year-old boy and could not take care of himself."

When Russell woke up "two or three hours later" he was "drenched in sweat," police revealed in statements reproduced by the USA TODAY newspaper.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri explained at a press conference that the interior of the vehicle where they were both found reached 125 degrees Fahrenheit inside. "Let's just say the poor boy was baked [in the car]," said the sheriff.

Incredibly, Russell survived despite being in the car for the same length of time and under the same circumstances.

As explained, the suspect tried to resuscitate Lapointe applying first aid, then called the mother of the deceased and when she arrived they called 911.

Russell had already been arrested after the tragedy because after calling the police they found him in the nearby area and carrying a hidden firearm with him. Now he faces charges of aggravated involuntary manslaughter.