Hopkins parents charged in 9-year-old daughter's deadly asthma attack

A 9-year-old Hopkins girl spent a week in intensive care from an asthma attack that left her brain dead. Now her parents are charged in the girl's death after her dad failed to refill her inhaler and her mom ran a steam bath instead of rushing the girl to the hospital.

Anthony and Rachel Modrow both face one count of second-degree manslaughter for the alleged neglect and endangerment of their child, Amy Lynn Modrow, who they called "chicken nugget," according to her obituary. The parents, both 34, were booked into Hennepin County jail late Wednesday night and made a first court appearance Thursday. District Judge Shereen Askalani set conditional bail at $25,000 and said they would be placed on house arrest if they posted bail.

"On the face of this, it looks like the line between the accident and charges is very fine," said Hennepin County Public Defender Tanya Bishop at Anthony Modrow's court appearance. "Of course, if he could go back in time there could be other steps he took to avoid this, but we're here now."

Rachel Modrow wiped away tears as a public defender asked Askalani to set bail at zero. But the judge said given the seriousness of the charges and public safety concerns, she is requiring both parents to post bail.

Charges say the Modrows ignored Amy's health concerns and the advice of family and friends who urged them to take her to the hospital. Medical experts said the child would have had a much better chance of surviving with earlier intervention.

Amy went to have a sleepover at a friend's house Feb. 9, but she wasn't feeling well. The friend's mom was notified multiple times that night and through the morning about Amy having trouble breathing and believing that she was having an asthma attack. The mom noticed Amy was using an inhaler but the prescription was for Amy's grandma. Amy said she used it because her parents didn't have a car, charges say, but the mom didn't see the inhaler helping curb the asthma attack.

The mom called Anthony Modrow, who is accused in charges of sighing and handing the phone over to Rachel Modrow, who told the mom to bring Amy home. The mom said Amy was not faking it and offered to take her to the doctor, but the Modrows refused the offer, charges state. Amy was wheezing, breathing heavily and asked to go to the hospital the morning of Feb. 10.

Detectives searched Amy's phone and found the 9-year-old had texted her grandma around 7 a.m. the morning of the asthma attack. She asked her grandma to get her medication.

A family friend got a call from Amy's aunt around 10 a.m. saying that Amy needed help. When the family friend arrived at the Modrows, Amy's skin was blue, she couldn't raise her arms and she was crying, charges say. Rachel Modrow ran a steam bath for Amy, but the family friend insisted the girl needed to go to the hospital. The family friend carried Amy to the parking lot of the Modrows' apartment complex on Westbrooke Way and called 911.

Phone records show that a 911 call wasn't made until 10:40 a.m., more than three hours after Amy's parents were told she was suffering from an asthma attack, charges state.

Hopkins police and medics arrived, but they couldn't find a pulse. Amy went to Hennepin County Medical Center and was in the ICU until Feb. 17, when doctors pronounced her brain dead from a lack of oxygen.

Five days before she was pronounced dead, the Modrows created an online fundraising page to help with medical expenses. The parents shared updates on Amy's failing condition leading up to her death. It raised nearly $10,000 before it appears to have been removed.

The Modrows' neighbor, Aaron Titiner, 31, said he didn't donate to the fundraiser because he was suspicious and felt the parents were somehow at fault. He said the Modrows' apartment unit was unkept and the parents were always in front of a screen. When he would see Amy playing outside on her scooter or listening to music on her phone, she was always alone.

"I've never seen two people seemingly care less for their child," he said in a phone interview.

Titiner saw Amy taken away in the ambulance and he said the parents hardly showed any emotion.

"Once she died, it was just like there's no way that they're getting off scot free," he said.