Cristina Pangalangan, who had cerebral palsy, was non-verbal, and used a wheelchair, suffered from hyperthermia after enduring nearly six hours inside the vehicle
A 13 year old girl tragically died after being abandoned in her mother’s car on a hot day in South Carolina. Cristina Pangalangan, who had cerebral palsy, was non-verbal and used a wheelchair, suffered from hyperthermia after enduring nearly six hours inside the vehicle, where temperatures reached as high as 57°C.
Cristina’s mother Rita Pangalangan and her boyfriend Larry King Jr. were only a few feet away at King’s home during this time. Authorities say the couple, deep into a multi-day methamphetamine binge, abandoned Cristina in the sweltering car for five hours and 42 minutes on August 15, 2019. Surveillance footage from King’s home showed the couple arguing, swinging on the porch, and engaging in sexual activity inside the house.
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Four hours into Cristina’s time in the car, Rita and King discovered they were locked out of the vehicle and went to retrieve a spare key. By the time they returned to the car, it was too late. Cristina was dead. Her body temperature was recorded at 109.9°F (43.2°C), the highest reading the coroner’s thermometer could register. Forensic experts testified that vomit in her lungs suggested she inhaled stomach fluids as her body shut down.
In September 2023, a jury convicted Rita, 53, and King, 45, of murder and inflicting great bodily harm to a child. Rita was sentenced to 37 years in prison, while King received 32 years. Both were also sentenced to 20 years for the abuse charges, to run concurrently.
Prosecutors noted the cruelty of the situation, with Cristina unable to scream or open the car door. “The most appalling thing demonstrated by the surveillance video is that this helpless girl died while these two self-absorbed, drug-addled defendants were often no more than a few feet away,” said Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone. “Minimal care and attention could have saved her life.”
Rita, who was a teacher with the Colleton County School District at the time of her arrest, resigned two days before Cristina’s death. Her teaching licence was permanently revoked after her conviction. Rita had more than 25 years of experience as an educator.
In court, Rita’s other daughter Elizabeth Clyde defended her mother, stating that Rita “loved Cristina so much” and was “created to be Cristina’s mom” due to her strength. However, trial testimony painted a different picture, with one 18-year-old witness recounting how Rita had left Cristina with her for several days just days before her death. The witness also described how Rita had forced her into caring for Cristina on short notice, even telling her to leave the child in the car with the windows down.
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed in 2022 on behalf of Cristina’s estate, naming both Rita and King as defendants. A separate lawsuit was also filed against the South Carolina Department of Social Services, accusing the agency of failing to protect Cristina despite multiple reports about her mother’s neglect.
By October 2024, a settlement of $314,000 was reached in relation to both lawsuits, with the Department of Social Services contributing $195,000 to the settlement.
In her obituary, Cristina was remembered as a “purely loving and wonderful soul” who enjoyed watching cartoons.
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