- Baby girl was left in an SUV for ‘several hours’ in Santee, San Diego County
- Sheriff’s Department Child Abuse Unit is looking into the circumstances
- 56 children have died from being left in hot cars in California since 1998
Neighbours have spoken of their horror after a two-month-old baby girl tragically died after she was left in a hot car for several hours in San Diego.
San Diego Sheriff’s Department is investigating the child’s death, which happened last Thursday at a residential address in the city of Santee.
An official statement posted on social media confirmed that their dedicated Child Abuse Unit is looking into the circumstances.
‘She was found unconscious after being left alone inside an SUV for several hours,’ the statement said.
According to The San Diego Tribune, a family member called 911 around 12.20am on June 13 after discovering the baby girl inside the vehicle.
A two-month-old baby girl tragically died after she was left in a hot car for several hours in San Diego. Pictured: A neighbour captured the moment emergency workers arrived at the home on Settle Road on their Ring doorbell camera
A view of Settle Road, Santee, where the tragedy occurred last Thursday
Emergency workers rushed the baby to Sharp Grossmont Hospital, in La Mesa, where she was later pronounced dead.
The name of the baby has not been released, while the official cause and manner of death will be determined by the county Medical Examiner’s Office.
Police are reminding parents, guardians, babysitters and caregivers that leaving a child alone in a car is illegal, regardless of whether the engine is running or not, and to think twice before leaving their cars, as summer temperatures continue to spike.
Experts say the interior of a vehicle can reach 105 degrees within minutes, even when it is only 75 degrees outside.
The statement added: ‘Never leave your child alone in a car even for a second to dash into a store or to run a quick errand.
‘Summer routines can shift unexpectedly. Even the best parents can forget a quiet or sleeping child is in the backseat of a car.
‘Always remember: Once you park, stop, look, lock.’
A neighbour who spoke anonymously with NBC 7 said their Ring doorbell camera had captured the moment emergency workers arrived at the home on the 10000 block of Settle Road.
‘They were in there a minute, two minutes maybe. Then they left, so we knew something bad happened.’
According to the website of advocacy group No Heat Stroke, 972 children have died in hot cars due to Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke (PVH) since 1998.
Of these, 56 have occurred in the state of California.
Dr David Diamon, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern Florida, told NBC 7 it was easier than people might believe to forget they have a child at the back of their car, especially when they are rushing about.
‘We have powerful brain-autopilot brain-memory system that gets us to do things automatically and, in that process, we lose awareness of other things in our mind, including that there’s a child in the car.’
The parents of the child have not been charged with any offence at this time.