Authorities in New Jersey reported that an 8-week-old daughter of the father passed away after being left in a hot car. The father has been taken into custody.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said that at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Monday, Lakewood Township officials responded to a complaint of a newborn experiencing cardiac arrest. At the scene, the 8-week-old was pronounced dead.
It was concluded that the baby’s death was caused by being left alone in her father’s car “for an extended period of time,” according to a statement released by prosecutors on Tuesday.
In Lakewood Township on Monday, the heat index—a measure of the temperature that takes into account humidity—rose to 107 degrees.
Avraham Chaitovsky, the baby’s 28-year-old father, was accused by authorities of jeopardizing the welfare of a child. Prosecutors stated there is still an investigation going on and that further charges could be brought.
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Based on data from the nationwide group KidsAndCars.org, at least 11 children have perished in overheated cars in the United States this year.
According to KidsAndCars.org, there have been at least 1,095 child fatalities in hot cars since 1990, with 3 years old or under accounting for roughly 88% of these deaths.
