SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXXV) — A 5-year-old boy died Wednesday after being left in a hot car for several hours outside a San Antonio day care, according to police. The child’s mother, 22, told investigators she believed she had dropped him off at Pinnacle Kids’ Academy, where he was regularly cared for, before heading to work next door around 8 a.m.
According to ABC, San Antonio police stated that the mother returned to the daycare around 4:30 p.m. to pick up her son, only to be informed by staff that he had never been dropped off. She then discovered the child unresponsive in his car seat.
Emergency responders pronounced the boy dead at the scene. His identity, along with his mother’s, has not been released.
Homicide detectives are investigating whether the child’s death was accidental or criminal. As of Thursday, no arrests have been made.
“This is an extremely tragic situation,” San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said. “The family is quite distraught. It serves as a heartbreaking reminder to always check the back seat.”
According to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, nearly 40 children die in hot cars each year in the U.S.—approximately one every nine days.
