COTTAGEVILLE, W.Va. — Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger says it’s amazing how quickly a young boy recovered from a heat-related incident earlier this week.
Parker Roberts, 5, of Cottageville, was released from the hospital Thursday night. He had been there for two days after he was found in very serious condition in the locked trunk of a car Tuesday afternoon as the temperature soared above 90 degrees.
Mellinger said he and others thought the little boy was in for a long recovery.
“I don’t think anybody saw that coming,” Mellinger told MetroNews Friday. “It was certainly a rollercoaster of emotions going from highs to lows but certainly we are excited.”
Roberts was found when the owner of the car popped the trunk when showing the vehicle to an interested buyer.
The boy’s parents, Nantail Roberts, 24, and Corey Roberts, 22, both of Cottageville, are in jail on several counts of felony child neglect.
Mellinger declined to go into a lot of detail about the investigation Friday but he did say the situation was preventable.
“I would feel very comfortable in saying that had he had the proper parental supervision I think that whole situation would have been avoided,” Mellinger said.
Mellinger said it appears Parker and his three young siblings were many times fending for themselves.
“After talking to witnesses and various neighbors, this appears to be a pretty routine event and these kids basically doing whatever they want for hours on end while their parents are asleep,” Mellinger said.
Parker Roberts and his siblings are currently staying with family members.