California father arrested after 6-year-old son dies in hot car
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A 6-year-old boy died after being left inside a vehicle amid record-breaking temperatures over the weekend in Paso Robles, California, authorities have confirmed. The city is 200 miles up the Pacific Coast from Los Angeles.
Police said they were notified of the child’s death shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday evening. Detectives believe the boy's father, 27-year-old Briant ReyesEstrada, had parked his vehicle in the lot at the Paso Robles Inn for several hours before he brought the child to Twin Cities Hospital in Templeton, where the boy was pronounced dead. The temperature reached a high of 99 degrees Fahrenheit in Paso Robles on Saturday.
ReyesEstrada was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and willful harm or injury to a child likely to produce great bodily injury, according to local media reports. Hotel employees told KSBY that ReyesEstrada had been working at the Paso Robles Inn that day.
The incident marks at least the third child to die in a hot car in the United States so far this year, according to Kids and Car Safety. On May 7, a father dropped one child off at school but told police he forgot to drop his 2-year-old off at a babysitter, according to media reports. The child wasn't found until hours later.
On March 18, a 4-month-old baby died in Lakewood, New Jersey, after accidentally being left in a car for a few hours when the father of the child forgot to drop the baby off at his babysitter’s and instead went to work.
All three incidents highlight the persistent and deadly danger of heat inside vehicles, even in spring when outside temperatures may not seem extreme.
President and Founder of Kids and Car Safety Janette Fennell shares her tips for keeping all your passengers safe during hot days.
Since 1990, at least 1,127 children have died in hot cars nationwide, and more than 7,500 others have survived with injuries ranging from mild to severe, according to data from Kids and Car Safety.
The vast majority of victims—nearly 9 in 10—are under the age of 3. In over half of all fatal cases, children were unknowingly left behind by a parent or caregiver. Experts stress that it can happen to anyone, regardless of routine, background or intentions.
The inside of a car can heat up much faster than most people realize, even if the windows are cracked. In just 10 minutes, the temperature inside can soar to dangerous levels, with about 80% of that heat buildup happening in those first few minutes, according to Kids and Car Safety.
Cracking the windows doesn’t make a meaningful difference; it doesn’t slow the heating process or lower the final temperature. In fact, children have died from heatstroke in cars when it was only 60 degrees outside. That’s because a child’s body overheats three to five times faster than an adult’s, making them especially vulnerable, even on mild days.
You can find more information on the danger of hot cars for children here.
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