HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas — A 5-year-old boy was declared dead after being found unconscious in a hot car parked at a La Joya ISD elementary school.
On Thursday around 4:05 p.m., Hidalgo County sheriff's deputies arrived at Dr. Americo Paredes Elementary School on request by the La Joya ISD police. Police told the deputies the unnamed boy was found in a car of a staff member 'unconscious and not breathing,' according to officials. EMS arrived and declared the boy dead at the scene despite CPR attempts.
Chief of Police Raul Gonzalez said in a press conference Friday the vehicle belonged to a staff member who worked at the school. The staff member was also related to the child.
ABC reported temperatures reached a high of 101 degrees with a 'feel-like' temp at 105 with humidity on Thursday in Hidalgo County.
Superintendent of La Joya ISD schools Dr. Gisela Saenz spoke at the conference calling the incident 'isolated and tragic' and assured the district's schools are safe.
Additional details will not be released, said Gonzalez, pending an investigation.
Potential witnesses are urged to contact the sheriff's office at (956) 383-8114. Anonymous reporting is available via Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers at (956) 668-TIPS or through their P3 TIPS app.
The case is being investigated by Child Protective Services, the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office, and the La Joya ISD Police Department.
