Toddler Dies After Babysitter Leaves Him Alone in Freezing Car

A toddler named Frank Rodenbaugh, just two years old, is dead after being left alone in a freezing car by his babysitter on Martha's Vineyard. The boy lost his life while screaming for his father, according to reports from the Daily Mail. His caregiver, Aimee Cotton, 41, was cooking bacon inside the house when she allegedly abandoned Frankie in the vehicle for three hours back in March of 2025.

Cotton faces charges of second-degree murder stemming from this tragic incident. The wrongful death lawsuit filed by his parents, Julie and Matthew Rodenbaugh, states that the child succumbed to hypothermia followed by a cardiac arrest. It is claimed he was left unattended while the babysitter stayed warm indoors preparing food.

Matthew Rodenbaugh spoke out to the Boston Globe this week about the unbearable loss. 'My 2-year-old son, Frankie, died calling out my name,' he said. 'I was not there when he needed me most.' The pain of that moment is etched into every family member's memory now.

This case highlights how easily a lapse in judgment can destroy lives. When regulations or basic safety rules are ignored, the cost paid by innocent children becomes too high to bear. A babysitter cooking bacon while a toddler freezes to death shows a complete disregard for human life. The community on Martha's Vineyard must ask itself what this means for child safety standards everywhere.

The risk to families is real and terrifying. Parents rely on caregivers they trust, but that trust was shattered when Frankie was left in the cold. Such negligence sends shockwaves through neighborhoods where children are supposed to be safe from harm. We cannot let another family suffer because someone decided their own comfort mattered more than a child's survival.

I made him this promise after his death: I will be there for him now, and forever." That vow came from a father who lost everything. Frankie 'Frankie' Rodenbaugh was just two years old when tragedy struck in March 2025. He died after being left unattended inside a vehicle for hours on Martha's Vineyard.

The boy passed away six days later on March 19 following transport to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. His father, Matthew Rodenbaugh, stated this week that his son died while calling out his name. A wrongful death suit filed in January alleges the child suffered from hypothermia and cardiac arrest. The suit also claims he was misled regarding the circumstances of his death by those who found him.

Aimee Cotton, 41, faces a second-degree murder indictment this week. She was previously charged with manslaughter and child endangerment back in October 2025 and pleaded not guilty to both counts. Bail was granted, allowing her release from custody pending trial. Her next appearance is set for October inside Dukes Superior Court in Edgartown.

Police reports reveal a disturbing timeline of events on the day Frankie died. Cotton called 911 claiming the youngster was not breathing and had turned blue. She initially told investigators she left the tot and a one-year-old girl inside the car for only fifteen minutes before discovering the boy unresponsive. That story did not match the evidence.

Surveillance footage from her own home showed both children sitting in the vehicle for approximately three hours. When confronted with these discrepancies, Cotton acknowledged leaving the kids unsupervised inside the automobile. Officers also noted she admitted to providing them no food or water during that time. The report detailed her activities while they waited: cooking bacon, preparing hockey equipment for her son, and doing household chores.

Footage tracked her movements throughout that deadly afternoon. At 9:22 am she returned home carrying items from the vehicle into the house. For the next three hours, police said she was not seen entering or exiting the car with anyone inside. Around 12:15 pm she took the girl inside for ten minutes before returning to the vehicle alone.

She spent an hour moving multiple items between the house and the car, including hockey gear. At 1:15 pm she opened the rear passenger door of the car. First responders arrived not long after that moment. A judge issued a stay in January's wrongful death suit pending the outcome of her criminal case held against her in June.

An attorney for the Rodenbaugh family spoke to the Boston Globe about this ordeal. "It has been an honor to represent Matt Rodenbaugh and watch his relentless fight for his son," the lawyer said. They commended law enforcement for its sustained and continued efforts on the case. The Daily Mail reached out to the family for further comment but received no additional response so far.

This case highlights how easily regulations meant to protect children can fail when adults are not present. Leaving small children in a vehicle creates immediate risk of hypothermia or death, especially if food and water are absent. Communities must understand that even brief absences without supervision can have fatal consequences for vulnerable families.