Parents Facing Murder Charges After Leaving Baby to Die in Car Seat

Tracey Hermann, 21, and James Sargent, 23, are facing murder charges related to the death of their 5-month-old son after the baby was found by police strapped inside a car seat that had been placed inside his crib.

According to Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons, Benjamin Sargant had been left in his car seat for eight days while his parents remained in the house “playing video games, watching TV, feeding and caring for themselves.”

The Peoria, IL couple now face first-degree murder charges that were called “brutal and heinous” and if convicted they could face up to 100 years in prison.

Both Hermann and Sargent were in court on Wednesday where Lyons told Peoria County Circuit Judge Glenn Collier that the child “died from starvation due to neglect from these two defendants, his parents. It's the worst case of child neglect we have seen since the turn of this century.”

The couple will be back in court on Friday as Collier determines whether or not the couple should be released prior to their trial.

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