Police: Sarasota girl, 2, dies after dad leaves her in hot car

TBO.com staff
Published: June 9, 2014

A Sarasota man has been charged with felony aggravated manslaughter after deputies say his 2-year-old daughter died Sunday when she was left in a hot car.

Deputies responded to the suspicious death of a child Sunday morning at 1500 N. Orange Ave. after she was taken to the hospital around noon with a body temperature of 106 degrees.

According to the arrest affadavit, 23-year-old Uriel Hernandez picked the child up from Valeria Mendoza, his ex-girlfriend and the girl’s mother, at Mendoza’s home around 6 a.m.

Hernandez, who normally picks the child up each weekend to have breakfast, called Mendoza before noon to tell her the child wasn’t responsive, according to the affadavit.

Mendoza rushed to his house while calling 911, and found the child on his bed and not breathing.

Paramedics arrived and transported the child to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, police say.

Investigators say Hernandez arrived home with the child, went inside to get a phone charger and fell asleep.