DEVASTATING

Houston Boy Dies After Being Accidentally Left in Hot Car for 2-3 Hours

The boy’s mom was rushing to set up a birthday party for her daughter before she noticed her son wasn’t in the house, authorities said.

A Houston woman accidentally left her 5-year-old son in a hot car for two to three hours, resulting in his death on Monday, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. The mom had taken her two kids to a store and then rushed home to prepare a birthday party for her 8-year-old daughter, he said. Although she and her daughter exited the car and went inside, she didn’t realize where her son was until she called for him two to three hours later, Gonzalez said. She found him in the backseat of a car that authorities believe had been loaned to her. She told officials that the boy usually takes his seatbelt off and leaves the car on his own, but his belt was still strapped in when she found his body. Officials suspect a child safety lock may have prevented him from getting out. The sheriff’s office has not said whether they will charge the mother.