Authorities in Florida are investigating after a 1-year-old boy was reportedly found dead in a car on Friday.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Jace Leslie was found deceased in a vehicle parked outside a Pine Hills home. WESH reported that the residence the toddler was discovered dead outside of was also used as an unofficial daycare.
For unknown reasons, a caregiver reportedly failed to drop Leslie off at the daycare before going to work. Police said the caregiver arrived at the daycare hours later to pick the toddler up — but found the boy dead in a rear-facing car seat inside the vehicle, according to WKMG.
WESH reported that daycare workers were seen on the front lawn trying to resuscitate Leslie at around 3:45 p.m. The boy’s mother arrived roughly 30 minutes later.
“When she got out the car, you just heard her yelling and then she was running, trying to get through the tape and then all the officers, they had stopped her,” neighbor Alton Williams told the news station.
Police emphasized that there’s no connection between Leslie’s death and the Pine Hills daycare, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
According to No Heat Stroke, the Florida toddler is the 22nd child to die in a hot car this year. In 2019, 52 children died of vehicular heatstroke.
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[Featured image: WESH video screengrab]
