A Colorado Springs daughter allegedly left her 91-year-old mother with a broken hip outside in 90-degree heat before she died, police said.
Kim Johnston, 59, was arrested in Colorado Springs in connection with the death of her mother, Son Johnston, authorities said.
The daughter has been charged with manslaughter and negligent death of an at-risk person, court records state.
The events leading to the elderly woman’s death occurred on the morning of July 15, 2025, according to court documents.
Johnston allegedly told investigators that she was annoyed with her mother that morning, the filings show.
The caretaker said she opened the door and her mother crawled outside, according to court records.
The 91-year-old woman was suffering from a broken hip at the time, police said. She reportedly crawled outside wearing long sleeves and pants despite temperatures reaching approximately 90 degrees.
Johnston claimed she provided her mother with water and set up an umbrella for shade, according to court filings.
Responding medics did not find water or an umbrella near the elderly woman, court records state.
The daughter allegedly admitted that during the several hours her mother remained outside, she checked on her only once or twice, the records state.
Johnston eventually heard her mother crying for help and called 911, according to investigators.
The caretaker did not initially describe the situation as urgent during that emergency call, court records indicate.
She reportedly told the dispatcher that her mother might be dehydrated or passing out, court documents show. Johnston said she did not believe the situation was urgent.
Officers arrived at the scene shortly before 12:30 p.m., police said.
They found Son Johnston unresponsive on a sidewalk outside the Hayman Terrace residence, court records state.
Johnston reportedly told medics her mother had fallen several hours earlier and had been lying on rocks in the yard, according to the documents.
Medics transported the victim toward a hospital, according to court records. She suffered cardiac arrest during the trip and later died.
Investigators documented an earlier allegation of caretaker neglect involving the daughter approximately one month before her mother died, records show.
That previous incident followed an allegation that Johnston had left her elderly mother on the floor for more than six hours after a fall, according to court records.
The arrest of the daughter came on September 3, more than a year after her mother’s July 2025 death, police said.
Johnston was booked into the El Paso County jail, where her bond was reportedly set at $4,000, according to records.
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