Police say a 3 year-old boy has died after being left in a hot day care center van for 3½ hours parked outside the center in northwest Houston.
A statement from the Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office said the child was found unresponsive when his father arrived at Discovering Me Academy about 7 p.m. Thursday to pick him up. The van was parked since 3 p.m., and deputies said its interior was 113 degrees when they arrived.
The child was pronounced dead a short time later at a hospital. An employee was questioned, but no charges were filed.
The academy had been cited in 2015 for not reporting a wreck involving the van in a timely manner and for a driver not knowing how many children were in her group.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said in statement sent out Friday that the Houston Police Department (HPD) is investigating this death in coordination with the child fatality unit of the DA’s Office and all the evidence will be presented to a grand jury.
Constable says the temp inside the bus when officers got here was 113 degrees #khou11 pic.twitter.com/AHNLjRsfPC
— Brett Buffington (@BBuffingtonHTX) July 20, 2018
UPDATE: @Pct1Constable says child is 3-years-old, discovered when the father came to the daycare to pick his little boy up. The group of 28 kids had just returned to the daycare from a field trip. #khou11 pic.twitter.com/vWNHIxa0lN
— Brett Buffington (@BBuffingtonHTX) July 20, 2018
It takes very little time for a car to get too hot for children
• Never leave a child alone in a car
• Ensure car is locked when not in it so kids don’t gain access
• If you see a child alone in a car, call 911
• Set reminder on phone to ensure u dropped child @ daycare. https://t.co/sEV9H6rAd9— Chief Samuel Peña (@FireChiefofHFD) July 20, 2018