POUGHKEEPSIE – Sixty-six-year-old Owen Ekpo, a New Horizons Direct Support Professional for New Horizons, was arraigned on felony criminally negligent homicide for the death of Thomas Anderson, a 26-year-old autistic man who resided at the New Horizons group home on Cream Street in Hyde Park.
According to the indictment, Ekpo was tasked with the care of Anderson, who suffered from severe intellectual disabilities and autism, on August 4, 2025. Ekpo was responsible for transporting the victim and other residents from the residence on Cream Street to a New Horizons-run day program on West Road in Pleasant Valley. It is alleged that Ekpo failed to remove the non-verbal victim from the van and take him into the program, as he was required to do. Ekpo then drove back to Cream Street, with Anderson still in the van, at 9:15 a.m., and parked the van in direct sunlight, with the windows and doors closed, leaving Anderson inside. Air temperature outside of the van rose to 84 degrees and Anderson was still in the van when other staff members found Anderson dead in the back seat of the van several hours later at 2 p.m.
According to the Dutchess County Medical Examiner, Anderson died as a result of heat exposure. Ekpo is accused of failing to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his actions and omissions would cause the death of Thomas Anderson.
District Attorney Anthony Parisi stated, “The Indictment alleges that the defendant, who was entrusted with the care and supervision of a highly vulnerable individual, failed to perform the most basic and required safety checks, with devastating consequences. Mr. Anderson depended entirely on others for his safety. The Grand Jury found sufficient evidence that the defendant’s actions and omissions created a substantial and unjustifiable risk, resulting in a tragic and preventable death. Our office will now proceed with the prosecution and ensure this case is resolved in a court of law.”
Judge Karen Edelman-Reyes presided over the arraignment, where Ekpo pleaded not guilty. He was remanded to the Dutchess County Jail on $75,000 cash bail, $150,000 bond,or $250,000 partially-secured bond.
The original Mid-Hudson News coverage of the incident can be found .
Ekpo’s next court date is scheduled for March 4, 2026.
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