Local Court News, (Central Nebraska Today)
HASTINGS — A Hastings man charged after his five-month-old son died due to heat exposure in a vehicle has pleaded no contest.
Jeremy Hansen, 36, had been charged with committing negligent child abuse resulting in death, a Class 2A felony.
Hansen had initially submitted a plea of not guilty in district court in September 2025.
On April 1, Hansen appeared in court and pleaded no contest to the charge. A no contest plea is neither an admission nor denial of guilt, but the plea is treated the same as a guilty plea.
A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing was set for June 23 at 10 a.m.
According to the Hastings Police Department, officers were dispatched to an address in the 300 block of South Elm Ave. following the report of an unresponsive infant located inside of a parked vehicle.
“Upon arrival, officers assumed life-saving efforts until Hastings Fire and Rescue arrived to continue medical care. The child, a 5-month-old male, was transported to Mary Lanning Healthcare, where, tragically, he was later pronounced deceased,” per the Hastings Police Department.
“The preliminary investigation determined that the child succumbed to extreme heat exposure. Later that evening, the child’s father, Jeremy Hansen, was arrested on charges of negligent child abuse resulting in death,” the Hastings Police Department stated.
