Caretaker faces charges in Howard County for allegedly leaving nonverbal man locked in a car

A Beltsville woman faces charges after allegedly leaving a nonverbal man locked in a car while she dined at a restaurant in Columbia’s Merriweather District.

Kymora Lee Sanders, 26, is charged with two misdemeanors related to abuse of a vulnerable adult and reckless endangerment after authorities say she went to lunch at Eggspectation, leaving a man in her care behind in a Toyota Sienna.

Sanders, who was released Monday on a $10,000 personal bond, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Court records did not list an attorney representing her.

According to charging documents from police, an unnamed firefighter called authorities July 23 after he noticed the man, who he believed to have a cognitive disability, sitting unsupervised in a vehicle near a county fire station in the 6000 block of Symphony Woods Road.

Officers said the windows of the vehicle were slightly open and the man did not appear to be sweating or in distress. Police believe the car door had a child lock that prevented him from opening it at their request.

The vehicle was registered to Richcroft Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Sparks that provides residential and personal care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, police said.

While a Richcroft representative traveled to meet police at the scene, police said, Sanders returned to the vehicle.

She told police she needed to use the bathroom and “had just left him,” according to police. Officers noted Sanders was uncooperative as they questioned her about Richcroft’s protocols and at one point she attempted to leave.

Investigators later obtained video footage that showed the man was left unattended for about an hour and showing Sanders at the restaurant.

Richcroft CEO Kevin Drumheller called the incident “deeply troubling” and inconsistent with the nonprofit’s standards of care and mission in an emailed statement Thursday.

The organization reported the incident to state authorities. Drumheller said Sanders worked for Richcroft, which cares for more than 350 people, for a little more than a year and has been terminated.

The nonprofit launched its own review to understand how established safety protocols were disregarded and identify additional safeguards that could reduce the risk of an incident happening again, Drumheller said.

“Although incidents of this nature are extremely rare, even one is unacceptable,” he said.