An Arkansas couple pleaded guilty to murder and will now serve decades in prison after their 2-year-old son died while left in a hot car with three of their other children.
On Friday, April 18, Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones announced that Deja Rollins, 28, and Justin Rollins, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and one count of first-degree domestic battery.
According to Jones, a Little Rock judge sentenced the couple to 70 years in prison.
The couple was arrested in July 2024, after their 3-year-old was taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock for “urgent medical treatment,” while their other children (ages 2, 4, 7, and 10) were left locked in a car in the hospital parking lot. The youngest child, Jay’Dien Rollins, died the following day.
According to local outlets KARK and KATV, the couple’s domestic battery charge stems from the child abuse and neglect case that led to their 3-year-old’s hospitalization.
“This case is one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking our office has ever encountered,” Jones said in a statement. “This office’s number one priority is to protect children. There is no greater responsibility, and we will continue to do everything in our power to hold those who cause harm to children fully accountable.”
Police in Jacksonville, Arkansas, initially stated in a press release that they responded to a child abuse report on July 7, 2024, after the couple’s 3-year-old was taken to the hospital. At 12:30 p.m. local time that day, hospital security discovered that the four other children had been left in the car and called 911.
According to Jacksonville police, the husband and wife were “not cooperative in providing the location” of their children at the time.
All four children were suffering from heat exhaustion when emergency personnel discovered and removed them from the car, according to police. The children were all hospitalized, and Jay’Dien, who was two years old, died the following day.
Investigators later searched the Rollins’ home and allegedly discovered a malnourished dog, police said. The dog was turned over to Jacksonville Animal Services, and the couple was initially charged with animal cruelty, but the charge was later dropped as part of a plea agreement.
Jones thanked the Little Rock and Jacksonville police, as well as doctors at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
“Thanks to the coordinated efforts of these dedicated professionals, we were able to secure a resolution that reflects the gravity of these crimes and ensures these children will not be forgotten,” according to the lawyer.
If you suspect child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org.