Infant dies in Spotsylvania after allegedly being left in hot vehicle
A 2-month-old boy died Wednesday in Spotsylvania County after allegedly being left in a hot vehicle for an extended period of time.
Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 3700 block of Lafayette Boulevard at 5:16 p.m. in reference to a call about an unresponsive infant.
Deputies located the infant inside a business with their mother. Spotsylvania Fire and Rescue personnel arrived simultaneously and immediately transported the child to Mary Washington Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
A preliminary investigation revealed the child had allegedly been left in a car seat inside a vehicle for an extended period of time while the mother was working. Lt. Col. Delbert Myrick said detectives are still trying to finalize the exact timeline. However, they do know that the vehicle was not running and the heat index was as high at the time, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.
Following consultation with Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney Ryan Mahaffey, the child’s mother, a Stafford County resident, was arrested and is facing charges of child endangerment and child abuse. She was transported to Rappahannock Regional Jail. The investigation remains ongoing.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office advises that when transporting children, place personal items in the backseat to create reminders that a child is present. Authorities suggest keeping a stuffed animal or other mementos in the child’s car seat when it’s empty.