Sarah Carter
Monticello, NY - On August 1, 2024, Sullivan County District Attorney Brian P. Conaty announced the arrest of Sarah Carter, 33, of Monticello, for Criminally Negligent Homicide, a Class E felony, for causing the death of Antonio Suarez-Ware, 2 years old, by leaving him unattended and alone in her 2012 Ford Explorer for several hours with the vehicle turned off and the windows rolled up on July 16, 2024. Recent reports indicate that the temperature exceeded 90 degrees Fahrenheit that day.
Her maximum exposure under the law for this charge is an indeterminate sentence of one and one-third to four years incarceration in state prison. Carter was arraigned before the Honorable Douglas Solomon of the Village of Monticello Justice Court and remanded to the Sullivan County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash/$150,000 insurance company bond/$300,000 partially secured monetary bail.
Present at the arraignment was DA Conaty, Sarah Carter and her attorney, Scott Migden, Esq. She is next scheduled to appear in the Village of Monticello Justice Court on August 26 at 9 a.m.
The New York State Police spearheaded this investigation with the assistance of the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office and the Village of Monticello Police Department.
DA Conaty said: “This is nothing short of a senseless tragedy. I send my heartfelt condolences to Antonio’s family and loved ones. It is unfathomable that the careless and irresponsible actions – and inactions - of this defendant claimed the life of an innocent, defenseless child. It is paramount that those charged with the care and custody of minor children exercise the upmost degree of diligence needed to safeguard them from harm. For those that do not, they will be held to account. The sad reality is nothing can bring Antonio back to life; no form of justice can do that. However, it’s also sad that the State Legislature has only proscribed the taking of a life in such a way as a Class E felony. Nevertheless, my Office is committed to vigorously prosecute this case consistent with laws as dictated from Albany. I want to thank the New York State Police for their thorough and comprehensive investigation into this tragedy to bring some semblance of justice to Antonio.”
The filing of a criminal complaint is a mere accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
