Court Dropped CPS Case Against Smith County Father

TYLER — A Child Protective Services case against an East Texas father whose daughter died after being locked in a hot car last summer has been dropped. According to Shari Pulliam, Public Information Officer for CPS, Russel Lindstrom will no longer have to submit to testing or evaluations by CPS because Lindstrom’s wife and younger daughter, Zoey, moved out of state. According to KETK, Pulliam says because the child no longer resides in Texas, they no longer have a child to protect.

On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 11, 2014, the Smith County Sheriff’s office received a 911 call from a person reporting two unresponsive toddlers inside a vehicle in the 18000 block of County Road 1100. EMS arrived and found two girls, ages three and four. Four-year-old Bella was taken to a local hospital where she died, while three-year old Zoey was hospitalized overnight and released. Bella was pronounced dead by Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 Judge Gary Alfred.

After further investigation by deputies, warrants were issued for the arrest Lindstrom and signed by 114th District Court Judge Christi Kennedy. Lindstrom was arrested Wednesday, July 9, 2014, at a mobile home park in the 1700 block of Highway 155 South and was initially charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of injury to a child. His bail combined was originally set at $200,000. Lindstrom’s charges were lowered to two counts of injury to a child in October, 2014.

In an interview with KETK the day after the incident, Lindstrom said he had laid the children down for a nap and was playing video games while doing laundry when his brother-in-law arrived. They then checked on the kids and found them missing. The pair began searching for the Lindstrom’s daughters and found them unconscious in the back of his truck. He attempted CPR on Bella, but was not able to save her.

According to Lindstrom, who claims to be a veteran, authorities seized his prescription medication and electronics, but not guns inside the home. The truck involved in the incident was taken to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab for processing.

Lindstrom was sentenced to 10 years adjudicated probation and 240 hours of community service for the death of his daughter.