In a tragic and disturbing case that shocked South Carolina, Rita Pangalangan and her boyfriend Larry King Jr. have been convicted of murder in the horrific hot car death of Rita’s 13-year-old daughter, Cristina Pangalangan, a non-verbal teen with cerebral palsy.
Cristina died on August 15, 2019, after being left alone in her mother’s car for nearly six hours in the sweltering heat. When her body was finally removed from the vehicle, it was too late—her temperature had soared to 109.9 degrees, the highest temperature the coroner’s thermometer could even register. Cristina’s skin was blistered, her diaper soiled, and vomit was found in her lungs, suggesting she inhaled stomach fluids as her body shut down from hyperthermia.
According to prosecutors, Cristina was completely helpless. “Cristina couldn’t scream, and she couldn’t open the car door for herself,” said Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone during the trial. “It would have taken only minimal care and attention to save her life.”
Instead, surveillance footage showed Rita and King just feet away at King’s home, engaged in drug-fueled behavior while Cristina suffered in the heat outside. Prosecutors revealed the pair were in the middle of a multi-day methamphetamine binge, spending their afternoon arguing, lounging, and later engaging in sex, all while Cristina was dying.
Four hours after putting the teen in the car, the couple realized they were locked out. Rather than calling for emergency help, they drove to Rita’s house to retrieve a spare key. By the time they returned, Cristina had died.
In September 2023, a jury convicted Rita, 53, and King, 45, of murder and inflicting great bodily injury on a child. Rita was sentenced to 37 years in prison, while King received 32 years. Both are also serving 20-year concurrent sentences for child abuse.
Testimony during the trial painted a devastating picture of repeated neglect. A former roommate of Rita’s claimed she once refused to watch Cristina, and Rita told her to “just leave Cristina in the car with the windows down because she does it all the time.” Another witness said she was asked to babysit Cristina, only for Rita to disappear for two nights and leave no groceries behind.
At the time of her arrest, Rita was a Colleton County School District teacher with more than 25 years of experience. She resigned two days before Cristina’s death, and her teaching license was permanently revoked following her conviction.
Still, in court, Rita’s older daughter Elizabeth Clyde defended her mother, saying: “She loved Cristina so much, and she’s a good mom… Cristina was her whole world.”
A wrongful death lawsuit and a separate complaint against the state’s Department of Social Services alleged that DSS had been notified multiple times about Cristina’s mistreatment but failed to act. By October 2024, a $314,000 settlement was reached, with $195,000 paid by DSS to Cristina’s estate.
Cristina’s obituary remembered her as a “purely loving and wonderful soul” who enjoyed watching cartoons—a joyful life cut tragically short.
More News:
- Kate Middleton Once Viewed as ‘Problem’ by Queen Elizabeth Before Royal Wedding
- Melania Trump Appearances That Despatched Plastic Surgical procedure Chatter Into Overdrive
- Rachel DeMita Fired for Tweeting About Caitlin Clark During BIG3 Game, Fans Are Not Having It
- Missing Arkansas Woman Walks Into Gas Station and Says She’s Been Gone a Year
- Doctors Were Forced to Keep Brain Dead Pregnant Woman Alive and the Family Had No Say