A 2-year-old girl died after being left in a hot car in Marana, Arizona, on Tuesday.
According to the Marana Police Department, at around 4 p.m., the girl’s father called police to a neighborhood near I-10 and Cortaro Farms Road. First responders attempted to resuscitate the child and then took her to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The father initially told officers he had been running errands with the child in the car before going inside the home.
“The car was left running, the dad went inside, we are trying to determine how long the child was left in the car. The child was in a child’s seat. When he came back out, the child was found unresponsive,” Captain Tim Brunenkant with the Marana Police Department said, according to 12 News.
Officials estimate the child was in the car for 30 minutes to an hour. Brunenkant stated the car was “very hot” but couldn’t confirm if it was running when police arrived.
“We’re trying to determine that right now. We are doing our interviews with the dad, any witnesses, neighbors, to determine if the car was still running, if the AC was still operational. All we know is it was a hot car and the child was unresponsive, it was very hot, and it’s very tragic,” Brunenkant said.
Police said the victim’s mother was not home when the incident happened.
“It’s heartbreaking to have to report a second hot car child death today. The latest occurred this afternoon in Marana, Arizona, near Tucson, when a 2-year-old girl died inside a hot vehicle and the outside air temperature was 111°,” Jan Null, CCM, Adjunct Professor of Meteorology at San Jose State University, told CrimeOnline in an emailed statement.
It’s unclear whether charges will be filed in the case. Check back for updates.
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