In August 2024, Roger Inge left Dontarius Batts inside a minivan during the day while he worked his second job as a custodian at Cleveland High School. Neither Batts' family nor his other job's staff were aware of the situation.
When Inge returned to the vehicle after an eight-hour shift around 4 p.m., Batts was found dead. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as hyperthermia, the Johnston County District Attorney's Office said.
The family of Batts said he had been under Inge's care for nearly a decade. Batts loved Inge and had even vacationed with his family.
During sentencing, the Johnston County DA said Inge admitted he took advantage of a position of trust to commit the crime. He was sentenced by Judge Vince Rozier to a minimum of 18 months with a corresponding maximum of 31 months in the Department of Adult Corrections.
Johnston County Assistant District Attorney Hannah Manning, who prosecuted the case, described the crime as "tragic and preventable." District Attorney Jason Waller expressed condolences to the family, calling the incident a "senseless tragedy."