GALENA PARK, TX (LOOTPRESS) – A 9-year-old girl died Tuesday after being left alone for several hours in a hot car while her mother was at work, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Authorities say the girl’s 36-year-old mother left her inside a white Toyota Camry from approximately 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. while working a shift at a manufacturing plant in Galena Park, near Houston.
The mother reportedly left the child with some water and partially rolled down the car windows before going into work, officials said during a press conference.
When the woman returned to the vehicle after her shift, she found her daughter unresponsive.
Emergency responders were contacted around 2:06 p.m. The child was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The outside temperature in the Houston area reached approximately 93 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The mother was detained at the scene.
Detectives are continuing to investigate the incident and are awaiting autopsy results before determining whether charges will be filed.
Authorities are also working to establish the exact timeline of events and understand why the child was left in the car.
According to the advocacy group Kids and Car Safety, this is at least the 13th hot car death involving a child in the United States so far this year.
