A Kentucky woman was arrested last Thursday on charges including wanton endangerment after she allegedly left a 91-year-old man locked inside his car on a day when temperatures reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit. The incident occurred in East Bernstadt, approximately 75 miles south of Lexington.
The elderly man contacted 911 around 1:15 p.m., stating that Nikki Reed Hoskins, 37, had locked him inside the vehicle and taken the keys because he refused to buy her cigarettes. Deputies from the Laurel County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to Hoskins' home on Littontown Road, about four miles away.
According to the sheriff's office, Hoskins initially refused to exit her residence despite repeated attempts by officers. Deputies eventually entered the home and found her hiding in a bedroom. Upon her arrest, Hoskins allegedly struck a deputy.
Deputies noted that Hoskins appeared to be under the influence, exhibiting slurred speech and glassy, bloodshot eyes, and was unsteady on her feet. She was charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, theft by unlawful taking, third-degree assault on a police officer, and menacing.
Authorities have not disclosed how Hoskins knew the 91-year-old man. At the time of the incident, a heat dome was affecting much of the United States, bringing extreme temperatures to many regions, including Kentucky.
In addition to the new charges, Hoskins was found to have two outstanding Laurel District Court bench warrants related to previous cases involving child support, public intoxication, and contempt of court. She was booked into the Laurel County Correctional Center and held on a $10,000 cash-only bond for the recent charges.
This is not Hoskins' first encounter with law enforcement. In September 2022, she was arrested for allegedly assaulting a man and a woman. In that incident, police found her bleeding from the face on the ground after she had reportedly been involved in a dispute at a nearby home.
