Lubbock Baby Dies After Being Left In SUV

A one-year-old baby is dead after being left in the car all day. Amie Duemer, 38, discovered her son Joseph in her car when she went to pick him up at daycare and he wasn`t there.

A daycare worker at Madison`s Place, 5211 13th Street, says Duemer signed her child in everyday around 7:30 a.m. She says Duemer would then drive just seconds across the parking lot to her job as a social worker at the Lubbock Dialysis Center.

On Wednesday, Duemer signed Joseph in, but never took him out of the car.

"I talked to her at 5 o`clock. I was leaving the office she said, `Bye`. I said `Bye`, like normal," says Tasha Carillo, in explaining the minutes just before Deumer found her son dead.

Police say Duemer left work and drove across the street to pick Joseph up at daycare. When she arrived, a daycare worker says Duemer said, "I need to check Joseph out." When the worker told her that he was not there, Duemer replied, "You`re kidding" and then ran outside to the car.

"She rushed him inside (and) called EMS, (but the) child was deceased," says Lieutenant Roy Bassett, with the Lubbock Police Department.

Joseph`s father, Lee, rushed to the scene and was comforted by police while Amie was taken to the police station for questioning.

"(It was) an accident, a total accident," says Carillo. "(Amie was a) very loving mother, I can tell you that."

Carrillo, who works with Amie, took care of Joseph shortly after he was born when she worked at the daycare.

"He was wonderful, always laughing ... a sweet boy," she remembers.

"Amie was a very sweet lady, very loving mother, (it was a) freak accident, her boys were her pride and joy. She would never hurt those boys.

Amie and Lee also have a six-year-old son, Joshua.