Texas boy, 5, dies in hot car as mother prepared sister’s birthday party: report

HOUSTON, Texas (KWTX) - Authorities in Harris County are investigating the death of a child left inside a vehicle for several hours Monday afternoon.

Deputies were dispatched to the 13700 block of Blair Hill Lane at about 3 p.m. Monday.

“Upon arrival, units determined a child, possibly five years old, was left inside a vehicle for several hours. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in a tweet.

KHOU reports the victim was a boy. The CBS affiliate in Houston spoke with Sheriff Gonzalez, who said the boy’s family was preparing to celebrate his 8-year-old sister’s birthday.

The 5-year-old, his sister and his mother went to the store to get items for the party, and when they came back home, the sheriff said, the mother assumed both children had gotten out of the car on their own, according to KHOU.

The temperatures in the Houston area nearly hit 100 degrees.

According to Kids and Car Safety, Texas leads the nation with the most hot car deaths of children with a total of 149 deaths since 1990.

The child safety advocacy group, in a news release, said more than 1,000 children have died in hot cars since 1990 and at least another 7,300 survived with varying types and severities of injuries.

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