A New Jersey father is facing charges after prosecutors say he left his infant child inside a vehicle for hours, allegedly after forgetting to drop him off with a babysitter.
Police charged Moshe Ehrlich, 35, of Lakewood with endangering the welfare of a child, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced on March 20. Lakewood Township police arrived at a residential area around 1:45 p.m. on March 18, after receiving a report of an infant in distress inside a vehicle, Billhimer said.
Volunteer medics began performing lifesaving aid on Ehrlich’s 4-month-old son when officers arrived. Emergency crews then took the baby to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, where doctors pronounced him dead, according to the release.
“Responding Officers found Hatzolah Medical Services attempting to render lifesaving aid to a 4-month-old male infant,” the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office stated.
On March 20, Ehrlich went to Lakewood Township police headquarters and surrendered. Officers took him to the Ocean County Jail.
Nj.com reports that Ehrlich intended to leave his baby with a babysitter before taking his other child to daycare, according to his defense attorney, Yosef Jacobovitch. He called the infant’s death an “absolute tragedy.”
The parents had safeguards, including signs and reminders, to prevent leaving the baby in the car, Jacobovitch reportedly added.
“In this instance, he drove to drop off the child by the babysitter, realized that he didn’t have the babysitter’s diaper bag, dropped off the second child, then went back home,” Jacobovitch added.
Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo via Ocean County Corrections]
