ST. PAUL, Minn.—Authorities say a 4-year-old Minnesota boy died after his father left him in a hot SUV for hours while he worked.
The father, 26-year-old Kristopher Taylor of Apple Valley, is charged with second-degree manslaughter.
Just an awful story. Kristopher Taylor jailed & charged w/ 2nd degree Manslaughter in death of 4yo son. Apparently, Taylor allowed the boy to stay in his hot vehicle while he worked at this wknd’s burger fest at CHS Field in St Paul. 1st court appearance this afternoon. @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/ITvws1PuZd
— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) May 6, 2019
The boy died Saturday in St. Paul. Authorities say Taylor left the child in the vehicle for hours while he worked the Grillfest event at CHS Field. Taylor returned to the SUV at about 5:15 p.m. to find the boy was stiff.
The temperature reached 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the criminal complaint says the boy was in the sun.
Family just released pix of 4yo Riley Taylor. Child died in hot car over wknd. Father, Kristopher Taylor charged w/ Manslaughter. A friend of Kristopher telling me: “I know he loved his son. That’s why he worked 2 jobs. Such a sad ending. My heart breaks for him & his family.” pic.twitter.com/RGJCELZa8r
— Paul Blume (@PaulBlume_FOX9) May 6, 2019
According to the complaint, Taylor told police he left the window open a crack and gave the boy a hand-held video game.
It isn’t clear whether Taylor has an attorney to comment on his behalf.
Children in Hot Cars
On average per year, according to advocacy website Kids and Cars, “Thirty-seven children die from heat-related deaths after being trapped inside vehicles. Even the best of parents or caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping baby in a car; and the end result can be injury or even death.”
In 2016, 39 children across the United States died because they were left inside a hot car, according to the website No Heat Stroke. In 2017, 5 children died.
In a 19-year-period, when about 700 children died of heatstroke inside cars, 54 percent of caretakers said they “forgot” that the child was there.
One of the downsides to the weather warming up is that we start to increase the potential for kids and pets being left in hot cars. Unfortunately, we have the first child death of 2019. Source: @ggweather pic.twitter.com/1wI6YUQy4o
— Alex Wallace (@TWCAlexWallace) April 12, 2019
“It doesn’t have to be a blazing hot day for these to happen,” according to Jan Null, a San Jose State professor and former meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Null told the San Jose Mercury News. “They can happen anywhere, and happen to anyone.”
Null told SFGate that the temperatures inside vehicles heat up rapidly, with the air rising about 19 degrees over whatever the outside temperature is in the first 10 minutes and rising another 10 degrees in the next 10 minutes.
Additionally, Null said the bodies of small children heat up three to five times faster compared to adults. “So, while you and I could be in a car that’s, say, 109 degrees, an infant or small child would be to the point of entering heat stroke,” he said.
Record number of kids died in hot cars last year https://t.co/oPl3YLdmvB
— Alyssa Ivanson WANE 15 (@alyssaivanson) April 11, 2019
NTD News reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this article.
