Police determined that an Arizona 2-year-old was left in a hot vehicle for about three hours before she died.
CNN —
At least three people across theUnited Statesare facing charges related to the deaths of young childrenleft in hot cars during one scorching week in the US.
A 2-month-old in New Jersey, a 2-year-old in Arizona and a 5-year-old in Nebraskadiedafter being left in vehiclesin the heat. Thedeaths have prompted renewed calls for safety awareness as a record-setting heat wave continues to grip much of the nation.
The incidents are the latest among at least 11such childdeathsnationwide so far this year – sixin the first half ofthis month – according to data from the nonprofitKids and Car Safety.
Temperaturescan risequickly in a car, leading to potentiallydeadlysituationswithinminutes, safety experts say, and authorities are reminding people that children should never be left alone in vehicles – especially in hot weather.
The 2-month-old New Jerseygirl died Monday after being left inside a hot car in Lakewood, according tothe Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department responded to a report of a pediatric patient in cardiac arrest around 1:45 p.m. Monday,Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimersaid in a news release. A criminal complaint notes the child was left unattended in theparkedvehicle, which was not running, formore than four hours.
Officers arrived to findHatzolah Medical Servicespersonnelattempting to save the child, but she died at the scene, prosecutors said. Excessive heat warnings were in place Monday for portions of New Jersey and Philadelphia, with temperatures reaching over 100 degreesin some areas.
The investigation determined the child died due to being left unattended in the car, the prosecutor saidin the release.
The child’s father, AvrahamChaitovsky, 28, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child,according to therelease.
Chaitovskywas taken into custody, said the prosecutor. He has since been released,Ocean County Jailrecords show.It’s unclear whetherhehas retained an attorney.
An 8-week-old baby girl died Monday after being left inside a hot car in a parking lot in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.
In another incident, a 2-year-old girl in Arizona died after being left in a vehicle in her family’s driveway for about three hours, according to the Marana Police Department.
The girl’s father,37-year-oldChristopher Scholtes,told officers hearrived home on July 9 and left his daughter sleeping in her car seat inside the vehicle, whichhe saidwas running with the AC on, according to a news release from police. Scholtes“told detectives he did not want to wake his daughterup,” the release said.
When her mother arrived home, the girl was found in the car – which was no longer running – andtheair conditioningwas off. The mother performed CPR until first responders arrived. The child was taken to Banner University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Detectives used surveillance video from neighbors to determine the girl was left in the vehicle for about three hours, police said. The area was under an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service in Tucsonat the time.
And in Nebraska, a 5-year-old boy died on July 10 after beingfound unresponsive inside a vehicle, according to the Omaha Police Department. The boy was left unattended inside the vehicle for“an extended period of time,”police saidin a news release.
His foster mother, 40-year-old Juanita Pinon,has been charged with child abuse by neglect, resulting in death, and booked into Douglas County Correctionswith bond set at $2 million, according tocounty court records. CNN has reached out to an attorney for Pinon for comment.
Juanita Pinon was charged after her 5-year-old foster son died after being left alone in a hot car.
Heat safety warning
Children left unattended in cars are at risk for heat stroke and possibly death – and it’s not enough to just crack a window,the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
“Temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open”and even when it feels cool outside,the agency warns.
About 1,220 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year, according to the CDC.
Onaverage,37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle, according to theNational Safety Council.
With summer off to a scorching start, health officials are reminding people to take extra care in preventing heat-related illnesses. That includes never leaving a child, disabled personor pet unattended in acar, watching for signs of heat stroke and drinking plenty of water.
