A woman in Kentucky was arrested after she allegedly left a 91-year-old man locked in his car during a heat wave after he refused to “buy her cigarettes.”
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Facebook post that Nikki Reed Hoskins was arrested on Thursday, July 2, around 1:16 p.m. near her home.
Hoskins, 37, was arrested after she allegedly took the keys out of a 91-year-old man’s vehicle and left “it inoperable in the roadway with him in it,” according to Laurel County Sheriff John Root.
Deputies found the man, who told them that Hoskins had left him on the side of the road because he “wouldn’t buy her cigarettes.” Authorities added in the post that the heat index was 101 degrees at the time the man was found.
It is not currently clear how Hoskins knew the elderly man or why they were in the vehicle together before she abandoned him.
After Hoskins left him in the car, she allegedly walked back toward her house. Authorities then learned of the incident when a passerby called 911 to report that they saw the elderly man in the vehicle.
Once authorities spoke to the man, they went to Hoskins’ property and asked her to come out. However, she refused to grant access to the home and police had to force their way into the residence.
“Entry was made to the residence where they found her hiding in the bedroom, and upon arrest, she struck Deputy Mcvey before being taken into custody,” the post stated.
Deputies said that Hoskins was “unsteady on her feet” when she was found, while she also had “slurred speech and glassy, bloodshot eyes and was determined to be under the influence.”
Hoskins was ultimately charged with wanton endangerment in the first degree, theft by unlawful taking, third-degree assault on a police officer and menacing, according to the sheriff’s office.
Police also said that Hoskins was served with outstanding Laurel District Court Bench warrants for failing to appear in court for various reasons. Some of the warrants included incidents regarding child support and alcohol intoxication in a public place and contempt of court.
It is not currently clear if Hoskins has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest. The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office had no updates to share when contacted by Us about the case.
