OK Foster Baby Dies After Left In Hot Car, Biological Family Wants Answers

A baby died in the care of foster parents. Now the biological family wants answers.

The four-month old was found dead in the backseat of a car at the Dollar General Store in Geronimo Tuesday. Police believe the baby girl had been left in the back seat in the sweltering hot car for nine hours.

9/21/16 Related Story: OSBI: Baby Found Dead After Being Left In Car For At Least 9 Hours

The biological grandparents and great-grandmother of Mame-Neta Attocknie were too devastated by the baby girl’s death to talk on camera, but they say they loved her and wanted to care for her.

DHS removed Attocknie from her biological mother, and determined other family members were not fit to care for her.  

"Relatives are always our first choice,” said DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell. “However they do have to meet certain standards. They have to pass a background check. They have to not have a child welfare history of their own and they have to be able to care for the child.”

Investigators say Attocknies’ foster father, who works nights, left the baby in the car while he slept. He then had his son take the car to the Dollar General. That's when investigators say the foster parents realized the baby was still in the car.

DHS says the foster parents are experienced and well-trained. 

"This family has been a foster family since 2001 and has fostered more than 60 children at this time and have adopted several,” said Powell. “This is a family that’s very committed to helping Oklahoma’s children."

OSBI is investigating this case and DHS says it's supporting the foster family and the biological family during this horrible time. 

“I encourage people not to rush to judgment in this case. Let’s wait and see what their investigation reveals,” said Powell.