Tyler Perry Offers to Pay for Funeral of Twin Girls Left in Hot Car
The 15-month-old twins died last week after their father left them in a hot car.
— -- Actor and director Tyler Perry has offered to pay the funeral expenses for the 15-month-old twin girls who died last week after being left in a hot car in Carrollton, Georgia, ABC News has confirmed.
Ariel and Alaynah North died Aug. 4 after they were reportedly left alone inside their father's car. The father, Asa North, was arrested the following day and charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of reckless conduct, Chris Dobbs of the Carrollton Police Department told ABC News. North has not yet entered a plea.
The girls' mother, Breal Ellis, was in nearby Atlanta at the time, visiting her sister who had been hospitalized after a serious car crash the day before, according to ABC Atlanta affiliate WSB-TV.
"I was with them every day and the one day I left...I just want to tell them I’m sorry," she told WSB-TV through tears. "They didn't deserve to die like that or to die, period, but I know they're in heaven."
Ellis told the station she planned to bury her daughters this week but didn't have the money to pay for their funeral. A family friend set up a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000. As of today, the page had raised more than twice that amount.
After learning of the tragedy, Perry reached out to the local affiliate and offered to cover the girls' funeral expenses. It was unclear if Ellis has accepted the offer.
