Rhonda Jewell left 10-month-old Ariya Paige inside a vehicle for roughly five hours in 2023, leading to the baby’s death. An appeals court has now determined that Jewell’s convictions were unlawful, concluding the death was an accident under the law.
BAKER COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida appeals court has overturned the criminal convictions of the babysitter who was responsible for caring for the Baker County infant who died in a hot car.
On Wednesday, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal sided with Rhonda Jewell and ruled that her convictions for third-degree felony murder and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle could not stand. Jewell had received a 17-year prison sentence for the two charges.
The victim, Ariya Paige of Macclenny, was 10 months old. Court records show that Jewell was working as a nanny in July 2023 and was caring for children from two families. After picking up Ariya that morning, Jewell drove to another residence where she was expected to look after three additional children. She went inside after arriving, leaving Ariya strapped into her car seat. The child remained in the vehicle for about five hours and died from exposure to the heat.
The appeals court said prosecutors did not satisfy the legal burden required for a conviction. Under the court’s interpretation of Florida law, the state had to prove that Jewell knowingly left the child unattended in the vehicle in a way that caused great bodily harm. However, jurors were instructed that they did not need to find intent before reaching a guilty verdict.
Since the felony-murder charge depended on Jewell being found guilty of knowingly leaving Ariya in the car, the court overturned both convictions.
“This is the most tragic of cases. A beloved child has died, her family is left with an immeasurable loss, and it was Rhonda Jewell’s fault. But it was an accident,” the appeals court wrote. “This case highlights how imperfect our criminal justice system is to adjudicate an accidental death. There are no winners here; moral outrage is not assuaged. And beneath the tragedy, the issues are legally important.”
Pamela Paige, Ariya’s grandmother, said the family was deeply disappointed by the ruling.
“We learned about the decision yesterday afternoon. Of course, it was disheartening. It was a huge disappointment because it wasn’t what we were praying for,” Paige said.
Paige also disputed the idea that Jewell merely forgot Ariya was still inside the vehicle.
“That is not what we believe. We believe that she initially meant to leave Ariya in the vehicle. She just forgot to go back,” Paige said.
Although the convictions were overturned, Paige said the family still wants accountability and is relying on its faith as the case continues.
“We don’t hate Rhonda Jewell. There is forgiveness in our heart for her. It’s just that we want accountability because we don’t have our Ariya,” she said.
Paige said the family’s faith has also helped them prepare for another trial.
“We have strong faith. We know that God is still in control of all of this, and justice will prevail,” Paige said.
The case will return to the trial court, where Jewell is scheduled to face a new trial on the charge of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle, resulting in great bodily harm.
First Coast News contacted Jewell’s attorneys for a response to the appeals court’s decision, but no comment had been received by the time of publication.
