A father in Texas was arrested after he allegedly killed his 2-year-old daughter after leaving her locked inside of a hot vehicle for nine hours as he slept off the drinks he had the night before.
The Midland Police Department confirmed in a news release that Lorenzo Elias Rodriguez was charged with one count of capital murder of a person under 10 years old.
The investigation into Rodriguez, 25, began when officers responded to a home on East Pecan Avenue around 7:56 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, after they received a report of an unresponsive child locked inside a vehicle.
Rodriguez’s family told investigators that he consumed alcohol on the evening of Saturday, July 25. They went to his home when they were unable to get in touch with him on Sunday, but could not get into the residence. The family said they repeatedly knocked on the front door and eventually made their way into the home after they removed a window air-conditioning unit and climbed in through a window.
Family members found Rodriguez asleep around 8 p.m. and woke him up. Meanwhile, police said in the release that he had been sleeping since around 11 a.m.
Rodriguez’s brother and sister-in-law were unable to find the daughter inside of the home, so they “ran outside to a black Kia passenger car” and “found the child inside the vehicle.”
“The vehicle was not running, according to police. The family members broke a window to gain access to the vehicle and removed the 2-year-old child,” police said in the release.
The girl was then rushed to the Midland Memorial Hospital for treatment, but she was pronounced dead soon after her arrival.
Authorities launched a preliminary investigation into the matter and developed probable cause to charge Rodriguez with capital murder.
Rodriguez left the girl in the car amid extremely warm temperatures that reached 99 degrees in Midland on Sunday, according to KDFW. The National Weather Service has found data that indicates the temperatures inside of a parked vehicle can go up to 130 degrees in less than an hour when it is around 99 degrees outside.
Rodriguez is currently being held in the Midland County Jail without bond.
It is not currently clear if Rodriguez has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest. The Midland Police Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding updates in the case.
