Toddler dies after being left in hot car by her dad overnight
A 21-month-old baby died after she was allegedly left by her dad in a hot car for nine hours.
PEOPLE Magazine reported that the toddler was left inside the vehicle overnight on June 8, just outside a house in Madisonville in Louisiana, US. At the time, the temperature in the area peaked at 94 degrees Fahrenheit, with the heat index hitting 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office's initial investigation, the toddler's dad named Joseph Boatman, 32, picked up the child in a family member's home on June 8 at around 2:30 a.m. He then put his kid in a car seat and went back inside the residence.
The reason behind the move remains unclear, but authorities said that Boatman had “consumed multiple alcoholic beverages” that night.
A family member of the child noticed she was missing at around noon and immediately alerted the police. The toddler was then found unresponsive and later pronounced dead at the scene.
“This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face,” Sheriff Randy Smith said in a news release.
“When a child is left in a vehicle, especially on a day when the heat index climbs over 100 degrees, the outcome can turn deadly in a matter of minutes. This case involved compromised judgment, and the result was heartbreaking," he said.
Boatman has been charged with second-degree murder and is now in police custody. His bail has been set at $750,000 or over P42 million.
