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A settlement has been proposed in the wrongful death case of Cristina Pangalangan – a South Carolina girl with severe disabilities who died tragically (and avoidably) after being left in a hot car on a scorching summer day more than five years ago. The legal action – filed by attorney Karl Twenge on behalf of Cristina’s estate – listed the S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) as the lone defendant.
A separate wrongful death action was filed against the two individuals later convicted of Pangalangan’s murder.
The court will determine the final distribution of funds tied to both settlements, an amount which totaled just over $314,000.
Pangalangan, 13, of Walterboro, S.C., died on August 5, 2019 after she was left unattended inside her mother’s 2012 Volkswagen Jetta for an estimated five hours – with temperatures inside the vehicle climbing as high as 130 degrees. As first responders arrived on the scene and found the young girl non-responsive, Cristina’s mother – local school teacher Rita Pangalangan – claimed to have left her daughter unattended in the vehicle for only a few moments while she went inside the home of her boyfriend, Larry King, Jr., to retrieve her cigarettes.
Home security footage seized from King’s home told a different story. Specifically, it showed Pangalangan and King putting Cristina inside the vehicle at approximately 11:15 a.m. EDT and leaving her there for roughly an hour while they went inside King’s home. After emerging to check on her, the couple reentered King’s home where they stayed for another three hours – at which point they departed the residence in King’s truck, leaving Cristina unattended in the vehicle for yet another hour.
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RELATED | CRISTINA PANGALANGAN TRIAL: GUILTY VERDICTS RETURNED
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Prior to the incident, SCDSS received multiple complaints against Rita Pangalangan – including one less than three months before Cristina died.
Cristina was born with developmental and intellectual disabilities so severe she was wheelchair-bound and unable to communicate verbally. She required constant care. As S.C. fourteenth circuit solicitor Duffie Stone said during the trial, she was “completely dependent” on her mother – a former teacher of the year at a local school.
On September 1, 2023, Pangalangan and King were convicted of murder in connection with Cristina’s death. Pangalangan received a 37-year prison sentence, while King was sentenced to 32 years in prison.
The wrongful death and survival action lawsuits filed on August 4, 2021 alleged that SCDSS neglected its duty to protect Cristina, citing five separate reports to the agency regarding inadequate care, including a March 2019 incident in which Cristina sustained severe burns. According to the complaint, SCDSS failed to act in accordance with state statutes and regulations, which the suit claimed directly contributed to the child’s death.
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“DSS had been notified numerous times regarding the inappropriate care provided to Cristina by her mother,” the complaint stated.
The proposed settlement agreement filed with the court on October 29, 2024 included a payout of $195,000 from DSS, $50,000 from the mother’s liability insurance and an additional $50,000 under the mother’s underinsured motorist policy with Allstate Northbrook Indemnity Company. Additionally, a separate federal court case yielded a life insurance payout of just over $19,000 from MetLife, bringing the total to just over $314,000. The administrator has requested $31,488.58 be allocated to the wrongful death claim and $282,603.24 to the survival action.
After attorney fees of $125,602.33 and case-related costs of $19,884.52, approximately $168,518.97 will remain for distribution. Cristina’s mother has been disqualified as a beneficiary due to her conviction for the murder of the girl. According to probate court filings, settlement funds will be held in a trust “to be distributed pursuant to a future court order determining Cristina’s rightful heirs”.
A hearing to finalize the settlement has been scheduled for November 20, 2024.
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THE SETTLEMENT…
(S.C. Fourteenth Circuit)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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4 comments
What beneficiaries could Christina possibly have?
A more accurate term would be “heirs at law” (as determined by the SC intestacy statutes), as opposed to “beneficiaries” (which generally denotes individuals designated by the Decedent in a Will or otherwise, such as beneficiaries designated for life insurance, annuities, IRAs, 401k’s, etc.)
In the absence of a spouse or children, SC intestate heirs would next be her parents — although her mother’s conviction should bar her under the “Slayer Statute.”
Next would be grandparents. Or if none, then aunts/uncles and their descendants for any deceased ones.
Who are the beneficiaries?
Thanks SCNative for explaining the “heirs at law” terminology.