Del City Police: Infant Dies After Being Left In Hot Car

Del City police are investigating the death of an infant after the baby was left in a hot car.

Investigators are still trying to piece together how it happened and right now, the case is considered a homicide.

Police are warning parents that it does not take very long for a hot car to become deadly for a child.

"I need the police and I need the police and the ambulance over here, the baby," a 911 caller said.  “The baby, the baby is in the car seat."

A Del City mother made the 911 after finding her infant in a hot car.

She was so distraught, the dispatcher could not understand the emergency and someone else had to relay what was wrong.

“When the officers arrived, they found the mother standing in the street with the child,” Del City police Maj. Jody Suit said.

It happened about 3 p.m. Saturday outside a home in the 4600 block of SE 19 Street.

The baby was already gone by the time help arrived.

“That's the first one I'm aware of in Del City in a long time,” Suit added.

Police are not sure yet how long the baby was left in the car, but they believe the mother was in charge of the child at the time.

The temperature was 90 degrees with a heat index of 94.

“In this kind of heat like we are having lately, 90 to 100 degrees, probably 15 or 20 minutes can be fatal, frankly,” Suit explained.  “Even 5 or 10 minutes can be."

The mother's friends identified the baby girl as Ashanti.

They say it has been terrible on the mother, who has not been identified.

Although it appears to be an accident, police said the case is considered a homicide right now.

“Just remember those children, if they are in the car, make sure that you make note of where you put them and every time you get out of that car, they come out with you,” Suit told News 9.  “Never leave your children in the car for any reason, for any amount of time unattended,” he added.

Police say even in an accident, charges of negligence all the way up to manslaughter could be filed.

Once they wrap up the investigation, any charges would be up to the district attorney.