A boy was found dead on Monday, July 29, inside a daycare van in Oakland Park, Florida, authorities said.
The boy, identified by the Broward Sheriff’s Office as 2-year-old Noah Sneed, had been transported in the van to Ceressa’s Enrichment and Empowerment Academy at some point Monday, Broward County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion said.
The sheriff’s office said they do not know what time the boy arrived at the daycare, or what happened between then and the time he was found deceased inside the van.
The sheriff’s office and Oakland Park Fire Rescue crews were called at around 3:20 p.m., CNN affiliate WSVN reported.
“What happened once they arrived is under investigation,” Concepcion told CBS4.
“At this point we don’t know why the boy remained inside the vehicle but evidently he ultimately succumbed to the environment in which he remained inside that van.”
UPDATE – Fire Rescue has confirmed that a 2-year-old child has died after being left inside a van.https://t.co/FIghqPeYhB
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) July 29, 2019
With temperatures in the low 90s, authorities said heat may have been the cause of death, according to WSVN.
According to CBS4, experts say the temperature inside the van could have reached upwards of 135 degrees.
The sheriff’s office is interviewing employees and investigating the incident, Concepcion said, adding it’s too soon to say if any charges will be made.
“A review of online records of the Florida Department of Children and Families indicates that the daycare center was inspected in April by the state and there were no major issues,” the Miami Herald reported.
UPDATED: 2-year-old dies in van at Broward daycare center, authorities say. https://t.co/gwMD3iPbxd pic.twitter.com/VzrcZbAg7M
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) July 29, 2019
If heat is confirmed as the cause of death, it will be the seventh time this month a child has died in a hot vehicle in the United States, according to NoHeatStroke.org and the safety organization Kids and Cars.
Twin one-year-old babies died in New York on July 27 after they were left in a car for eight hours. The children’s father, 39-year-old Juan Rodriguez, has been charged with two counts of manslaughter and two counts of criminal negligent homicide.
Rodriguez, who is married and has three other children, was released on $100,000 bail over the weekend following his arraignment on July 27.
In a statement for the Rodriguez family, his wife Marissa Rodriguez said they are living their “absolute nightmare,” and added that she is “hurting more than I ever imagined possible.”
Hot Car Deaths
According to the Kids and Cars website, so far in 2019, there has been a total of 24 hot car deaths reported nationwide. Four of these deaths have been in Florida.
In an examination of the causes of the deaths conducted by the group, it was found that 54 percent of the deaths stemmed from a caregiver forgetting the child.
Another 26 percent of deaths came after a child gained access to the car on their own, while about 19 percent of the deaths came after they were knowingly left by a caregiver in the vehicle.
The U.S. National Safety Council said that caregivers can be aware of the deaths and take action.
“Parents and caregivers can act immediately to end these deaths. Even on relatively mild days, temperatures inside vehicles still can reach life-threatening levels in minutes, and cracking the window doesn’t help,” the council stated on its website.
“The National Safety Council advises parents and caregivers to stick to a routine and avoid distractions to reduce the risk of forgetting a child. Keep car doors locked so children cannot gain access, and teach them that cars are not play areas. Place a purse, briefcase or even a left shoe in the back seat to force you to take one last glance.”
The CNN Wire and Epoch Times reporter Isabel Van Brugen contributed to this report.
