Investigators in Hillsborough County say a child has died after being left in a hot car all day outside a Brandon shopping center.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the child was left unattended since the morning.
“What we understand is that about 9 o’clock this morning, a relative parked here in the parking lot and in the interim, left a two-year-old boy inside the vehicle, locked, without the engine running, and without the air conditioning,” Larry McKinnon, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, said.
McKinnon said that the relative came back out around 2:30 p.m. and found she had left the child in the car. Officials says the woman has been identified as the boy’s half-sister.
The relative was extremely upset and distraught and brought the two-year-old into the dialysis center seeking medical aid. The Medical personnel inside the facility attempted to render aid until fire rescue arrived.
McKinnon said “Right now, we have that relative in custody, interviewing her,” He added that they are “Trying to find the parents”. And “Conducting a criminal investigation.”