A mother in Harris County, Texas left her 5-year-old son in a car for “several hours” as she prepared for his older sister’s birthday party, resulting in his death on Monday.
The child was pronounced dead in the family’s driveway upon the arrival of Emergency Medical Services.
Names of the child and his mother have not been revealed. Gilliland also did not say whether the mother may face charges.
“Homicide and Child Crimes-investigators were notified and responded to the scene,” Gilliland said. “The case is still open and active, and investigators will meet with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to present their findings of the investigation.”
County Sheriff Ed Gonzelz said that prior to his death, the 5-year-old went to the store with his mother to prepare for his 8-year-old sister’s birthday party. When they returned to their home, the mother and her daughter exited the vehicle, but the boy reportedly remained buckled to his seat within the car for multiple hours before the family realized he was not inside.
“[The mother was] excited, trying to get things together, and unfortunately this time the child did not make it out,” Gonzalez said on Monday. “Again, with the business of the activities that they were preparing for, it took them a while to notice that the child wasn’t in the house.”
Gonzalez said that the family was driving a rental vehicle while their normal car was being worked on, explaining that it’s possible the child was not familiar with the rental’s locking mechanisms. The sheriff said that the car’s doors did not have any kind of child safety lock turned on.
Officers were made aware of the situation around 3:19 p.m.
Monday was the hottest day of the year in the Houston area so far, with record highs of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Weather channel.
Children face a higher risk of dying from heat stroke than adults in part because their temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, according to a Texas Department of State Health Services fact sheet. The sheet notes that heatstroke can begin when the core body temperature reaches 104 degrees; the department considers 107 degrees a “lethal core temperature.”
On average, 38 children under 15 years old die each year from heat stroke after being left in a vehicle across the country, according to the National Safety Council. The council’s website states that 23 children died in this manner in 2021.
Texas Child Protection Services said that five children have died in Texas this year due to heat exposure after being left in cars.
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