Toddler dies after being left in hot car outside church, police
say
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. (WJXT) -
Police in Florida are investigating the death of a 2-year-old
girl who was left inside a hot vehicle in a church parking lot.
Police say the death happened around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday
outside the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Jacksonville Beach. The
church is also home to a preschool during the day. Investigators
said “heat was a factor” in the 2-year-old girl’s death.
Neighbors say most residents in the area have their children
attend preschool at the church.
“It’s a shock to see this
in our community,” resident Annette Evans said. “This is a
church I’ve been to all my life, and I just can’t imagine
something like that happening here.”
Amid the
investigation, it wasn’t immediately clear if the incident was
criminal or accidental.
No one was detained or arrested
following the child’s death, and police say they have
interviewed everyone involved.
[ Return to
NoHeatstroke.org ]
“Any time there’s a loss of a child, it’s just a very tragic event no
matter if it’s by natural means or by accident or by some other means,” he
said.