A married Arkansas couple will spend the rest of their lives behind bars after their two-year-old died as a result of being left in a hot car along with three of his siblings.
Deja, 27, and Justin Rollins, 30, were sentenced to 70 years in jail on Friday after they left their children, ages 2, 4, 7 and 10 inside a hot car while they took their three-year-old inside Arkansas Children’s Hospital on July 7, 2024.
Jacksonville Police officers responded to the scene after receiving reports that the three-year-old was brought in for ‘urgent medical treatment.’
During the investigation they soon found out they had more children – but Deja and Justin refused to tell the cops where they were.
Authorities soon located the youngsters in the parking lot and alerted hospital security, who were able to open the car and break them free.
All four children suffered extreme heat exhaustion and were treated at the hospital, but sadly, just a day later, two-year-old Jay’Dien Rollins died from his injuries.
The couple’s unidentified three-year-old child also died from ‘severe malnutrition,’ which Jay’Dien also showed signs of as well, according to prosecutors.
The Rollins pleaded guilty to two counts of murder in the second degree and one count of domestic battery in the first degree for the abuse of their four-year-old, according to court records obtained by Law&Crime.
Deja Rollins (pictured), 27, and her husband were sentenced to 70 years in prison for the deaths of their two-year-old and three-year-old children
Justin Rollins, 30, (pictured) and Deja took their three-year-old inside Arkansas Children’s Hospital on July 7, 2024 – leaving their four other children abandoned in a hot car
Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones said the case was ‘one of the most disturbing’ they have ever dealt with.
‘This case is one of the most disturbing and heartbreaking our office has ever encountered,’ Jones said.
‘Protecting children is the top priority of this office. There is no greater responsibility, and we will continue to do everything in our power to ensure that those who harm a child are held fully responsible.’
Over the course of the investigation, police also found a malnourished dog inside their Jacksonville home, and turned it over to Jacksonville Animal Services.
It is unclear who is taking care of the surviving children.
DailyMail.com contacted the Pulaski County Prosecutor’s Office for more information.
In March, an Arizona father accused of leaving his two-year-old daughter to die in a hot car while he was inside playing on his PlayStation, rejected a plea deal in connection with her death.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, allegedly left his daughter Parker Scholtes in a blue 2023 Honda Acura SUV to nap for three hours while he played video games last summer.
All four children suffered extreme heat exhaustion and were treated at the hospital, but sadly, just a day later, two-year-old Jay’Dien Rollins died from his injuries. (Pictured: Parking lot outside the hospital)
She was discovered unresponsive by her mom outside the family home in Marana, north of Tucson, Arizona on July 9.
Erika Scholtes, who works as a doctor at the hospital where Parker was declared dead, found the toddler inside the car at 4.08pm according to surveillance footage.
Minutes later an anguished Scholtes called 911 and was coached through CPR.
The Pima County Medical Examiner said the girl’s body temperature had reached 108.9F when first responders arrived – almost the same as the 109F outside the vehicle that day.
The father-of-three declined a deal which would have seen his charges for the murder of Parker Scholtes, two, reduced from first to second degree murder.
His refusal means the matter will now move to a trial where if convicted he could face life in jail or even the death penalty.
