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Man charged in death of toddler left in van at PATCO station

Shelton Shambry, 60, was charged in death of 22-month-old Mallani Robertson-Lawrence.

Mallani Robertson-Lawrence died Aug. 16 after being left unattended in a minivan for nine hours at the PATCO Lindenwold Station.
Mallani Robertson-Lawrence died Aug. 16 after being left unattended in a minivan for nine hours at the PATCO Lindenwold Station.Read moreFamily

A 60-year-old man was charged Monday in the death of a 22-month-old girl who was left unattended for nine hours inside a hot minivan at the Lindenwold PATCO Station last month, authorities said.

Lindenwold resident Shelton Shambry, who was the girl’s legal guardian, was charged with fourth-degree abuse and neglect for allegedly leaving the girl inside a Dodge Caravan at the station’s parking lot on Aug. 16, authorities said.

The death of the girl, identified as Mallani Robertson-Lawrence by May Funeral Home, was ruled accidental, authorities said.

“After an extensive investigation, it was revealed that Shambry, who put the child in the vehicle just prior to 6:30 a.m. that morning, forgot that the child was in the vehicle,” said Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo, Delaware River Port Authority Police Chief Jack Stief, and Lindenwold Borough Police Chief Thomas Brennan in a joint statement.

Shambry was charged on a summons and released pending a future court proceeding, they said.

Just before 3:40 p.m. on Aug. 16, authorities responded to a 911 report of an unresponsive child inside a van at the Lindenwold Station.

The girl, who was still in her car seat, was pronounced dead at the scene.