Grandmother Sentenced After Baby Left in Hot Car Dies Less Than a Year After Another Grandchild Died While in Her Care

In the tranquil town of Wauchula, Florida, a heartrending tale unfolds, one marked by loss and legal ramifications. Tracey Nix, a 67-year-old grandmother, finds herself at the center of a grave legal battle following the tragic death of her seven-month-old granddaughter, Uriel, left in a sweltering car. This calamity strikes less than a year after another grandchild perished under her watch. As the community reels and the courts weigh in, questions of responsibility and redemption come to the fore. How did a day meant for care and love spiral into such a devastating oversight?

The Incident

On a seemingly ordinary day, November 1, 2022, Tracey Nix was tasked with the care of her seven-month-old granddaughter, Uriel Schock. The day unfolded with a routine outing as Nix took the infant to lunch with friends, a normal activity that tragically set the stage for later events. According to CCTV footage, the grandmother secured Uriel into her car seat at approximately 1:40 PM for what should have been a brief, ten-minute drive back to her home in Wauchula.

Upon arriving home, Nix parked her car and, without realizing the dire mistake she was about to make, left Uriel in the vehicle. “The defendant said she parked the car in the yard and forgot the victim was in the back seat,” according to police reports. She proceeded inside to engage in mundane activities, completely unaware of the fatal oversight. “I just forgot,” Nix explained during a police interview, highlighting the chilling simplicity of the tragedy.

As the Florida sun blazed that afternoon, temperatures inside the car soared to a deadly 90 degrees. It wasn’t until later, overwhelmed by the horrifying reality of the situation, that Nix’s husband discovered Uriel and desperately attempted CPR. Despite his efforts, the young child succumbed to hyperthermia—a stark and somber outcome of a day that began with no such ominous intentions.

This tragic incident came less than a year after another of Nix’s grandchildren, 16-month-old Ezra Schock, met a similarly heartbreaking fate. Ezra had drowned after managing to wander under a fence and into a pond while under his grandmother’s supervision. These back-to-back tragedies have not only devastated a family but also raised profound questions about supervision and safety in childcare situations.

Legal Proceedings

The legal ramifications following the tragic death of Uriel Schock were immediate and severe. Tracey Nix found herself facing the judicial system under grave charges that spotlighted her responsibility in the incident. In January 2025, she was convicted of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle, causing great bodily harm, but was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter—a charge that could have led to a much longer sentence.

During the trial, the court heard from multiple witnesses, including family members and friends who testified about the day’s events and Nix’s character. Despite her history and the love many attested she had for her grandchildren, the jury was tasked with a complex decision. “The defendant has previously been found guilty of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle and causing great bodily harm,” highlighted the challenges of her past and present accusations.

At the sentencing, emotions ran high. Tracey Nix, addressing the court, expressed her devastation over the events: “I literally forgot for a long period of time. I’m broken about what happened. I don’t want to leave anyone with the thought that I’m making excuses, because I’m not,” she said, as reported by Fox 13 Tampa. Her heartfelt statement underscored the personal torment and regret she felt.

However, the presiding judge, Brandon Rafool, pointedly remarked on Nix’s display of emotion, suggesting it stemmed more from personal loss than remorse for the actions that led to the tragedy. “Uriel is not an isolated incident. I do not believe she is showing remorse; I believe she is showing sorrow,” Judge Rafool stated, setting a tone of judicial sternness in the face of repeated tragedies.

Ultimately, Nix was sentenced to five years in prison, a decision that brought mixed reactions from the community and her family. The case, rich with legal and emotional complexity, has sparked broader discussions about accountability, elder supervision, and child safety, leaving an indelible mark on all involved.

Family Impact

The repercussions of the tragic deaths under Tracey Nix’s care reverberated deeply within her family, painting a complex portrait of grief, love, and conflicted loyalties. The emotional toll on Uriel’s parents, Drew and Kaila Schock, was palpable, as they navigated the agony of losing not one, but two children in heartbreakingly similar circumstances.

During the sentencing hearing, the courtroom was thick with emotion. Drew Schock expressed his incredulity and pain over the situation, emphasizing the gravity of what had transpired. “She’s done this twice and the fact that we’re debating whether she deserves jail time is just insane to me,” he stated, highlighting the family’s struggle with the idea of justice and reconciliation.

Kaila Nix-Schock, torn between her role as a daughter and a grieving mother, addressed her mother directly in court, revealing the depth of her internal conflict. “I still love you. I hate this,” she said through tears, according to Fox 13 Tampa. “I hate that I have to choose, but you know I had to. But it doesn’t change my heart.” Her words underscored the poignant struggle of holding onto love amid overwhelming grief.

The Schock family’s grief was not just a private matter but one that played out in the public eye, adding layers of complexity to their mourning process. The community’s response also reflected a mix of sympathy and censure, as they grappled with the tragic events and their consequences.

As the judge, Brandon Rafool, noted during sentencing, the need for the community to provide space for the Schock family to grieve was paramount. “This community needs to move past this case and leave Drew and Kaila Schock alone. Let them and their two children live in peace,” he implored, acknowledging the public’s role in the family’s healing process.

Previous Incident

The sorrow enveloping Tracey Nix and her family was compounded by a similarly tragic event that occurred less than a year before Uriel’s death. In December 2021, 16-month-old Ezra Schock, another of Nix’s grandchildren, tragically drowned after he managed to slip under a fence and into a pond while under his grandmother’s supervision.

The circumstances surrounding Ezra’s death cast a long shadow over the family, bringing to light issues of supervision and the heartbreaking consequences of momentary lapses in vigilance. “The toddler wandered under a fence near his grandparents’ home and ended up in a pond,” was how the incident was starkly summarized in official reports. This prior tragedy was a critical element in the backdrop of the later legal proceedings and family dynamics, although it was not directly admissible in the court case concerning Uriel’s death.

Legal proceedings from Ezra’s case concluded without charges of culpable negligence, as the evidence did not meet the threshold required for prosecution. “Charges in that case were eventually dropped, and the trial judge ruled it could not be mentioned to the jury in the hot car case,” reflected the complexities and legal nuances involved in such family tragedies.

The impact of Ezra’s death resonated deeply within the family, setting a precedent of grief and loss that was revisited under the most harrowing circumstances with Uriel’s passing. Kaila Nix-Schock, reflecting on the loss of her son, voiced her enduring pain and the shadow it cast over their lives. “One of the things that we have struggled with through this whole case has been the exclusion of my other story, which is my son who drowned in her care,” she disclosed, highlighting how the intertwined fates of her children have marked the family indelibly.

Lessons Learned from a Heartbreaking Oversight

As the community of Wauchula and the Schock family grapple with the aftermath of these devastating events, the story of Tracey Nix serves as a somber reminder of the responsibilities and risks inherent in caring for the young and vulnerable. These consecutive tragedies, marked by the deaths of Uriel and Ezra Schock, not only expose the human capacity for oversight but also the profound depths of familial love and resilience in the face of such losses.

The legal outcomes and the family’s heartrending experiences highlight crucial discussions about child safety, the role of caregiver vigilance, and the mechanisms of justice in addressing such personal tragedies. “I am in my own prison, and it will last all of my life,” said Tracey Nix, encapsulating the lifelong burden of guilt and grief that accompanies such irreversible mistakes.

As this chapter closes with Nix’s sentencing, it leaves open the broader dialogue on how communities and individuals can better protect their most innocent members and support those who have suffered unimaginable losses. The hope is that from these painful lessons, stronger safeguards and awareness around child care safety can emerge, preventing future tragedies.