Global Courant 2023-04-28 15:04:48
A Florida woman charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of her 7-month-old granddaughter will be treated at a mental health facility after a hearing on Thursday.
Tracey Nix, 65, is accused of leaving Uriel Schock in a hot car on Nov. 1, 2022, after she came home after taking the baby to lunch with friends, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
An arrest warrant obtained through the exhaust said Nix went in, talked to her dog, and practiced piano for “a long time” before she remembered her granddaughter was still in the car.
Less than a year earlier, Nix’s other grandchild, 16-month-old Ezra Schock, drowned while in her care after falling asleep. The Hardee County Sheriff’s Office said the little boy opened doors, went under a fence and wandered into a pond near his grandparents’ home.
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Tracey Nix, 65, charged with aggravated manslaughter in her granddaughter’s hot car death, attends a court hearing as her daughter and others look on. (FOX 13 Tampa Bay)
During court on Thursday, FOX 13 reported that Nix’s husband had asked Hardee County Judge Reinaldo Ojeda to let her go to a St. Cloud hospital for 30 days in hopes that she would open up and talk about what was happening. has happened.
“I’d like to see her get help. I’d like to see her get back to normal,” he said. “She’s a very smart and intelligent person. She has a degree in psychology, but the fact that she doesn’t talk tells me that she needs someone to help her solve these problems.”
Nix’s attorney, Drew Davis, also expressed concern about her inability to talk about what happened after she left Uriel in the car.
“She is having a hard time discussing the incident with her husband, with other people and that includes her lawyers. As we all know very well, this could very well be a competence issue with the judge. One of the main reasons why we’re filing this motion is to squeeze that ass early,” Davis said, as Nix’s daughter, Kaila Schock-Nix, reportedly hugged her partner, Drew Nix, in court.
In an earlier FOX 13 report, Kaila said the couple trusted her mother to look after their children and hoped to salvage their relationship after her young son drowned in her mother’s care.
Tracey Nix’s grandson, 16-month-old Ezra, and granddaughter, 7-month-old Uriel, who both died while in her care. (FOX 13 Tampa Bay through Kaila Nix)
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Nix, who worked as a principal and educator in Hardee County for 39 years, was previously described as “highly regarded,” which eventually led to the judge giving her permission to seek mental health treatment despite initial concerns about the low security measures of the facility.
“The request is not unreasonable on the face of it,” Ojeda said. “Ms. Nix is not asking to leave the state or the four corners of our state. She asks to leave for an hour and a half.”
Nix will enter the St. Cloud facility Friday morning. Because she has indicated that she wants to “flee her situation,” the Hardee County court system will contact the program at the same time each day to make sure she hasn’t left.
When the court was adjourned, FOX 13 reported that Kaila was hugging her parents – the words “I miss you so much” could be heard at the time.
Kaila Nix-Schock hugs her mother, Tracey Nix, after a court hearing. (FOX 13 Tampa Bay)
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Nix will appear in court again on June 22. If found guilty of aggravated manslaughter, she could face a minimum sentence of 12 years and a maximum of 35 years.
