According to police, a baby girl aged 11 months died after her parents unintentionally left her in a car while they went to church in Florida. Around 1 p.m. on Sunday, the Mount of Olives Evangelical Baptist Church on Babcock Street in Palm Bay received a call reporting a newborn who was not breathing.
She had been left in the car for around three hours, claimed the police, while the parents went to a church session.
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According to Palm Bay police, the infant was unconscious when police arrived and was taken to Palm Bay Community Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. They said, “As it does get warmer, lives are hectic right now with everything, a lot going on in everyone’s families and lives, and throughout the world. So it’s a good time to slow down and kind of take a double take and be aware of what we have around us and our families.”
“When they arrived, they learned the infant had been left in a car for approximately three hours while the parents went to the church service,” they added.
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Southern Brevard County experienced a daytime high of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius) on that day. This time, the internal temperature of the car was a baking 110 degrees Fahrenheit. With the sad occurrence still being under investigation, no one has been taken into custody.
“This is an unfortunate incident, and our condolences and prayers go out to the family,” Palm Bay police chief Mariano Augello said.
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The hospital added to the statement saying, “A tragic incident took place at the Good Samaritan campus Wednesday involving an employee and their child. This incident also impacted a number of our other team members. MultiCare has offered a number of paths for support for our employees. We extend our condolences to everyone involved.”
It’s important for all parents to be reminded of how to keep their families safe while the inquiry into what precisely occurred in Palm Bay is ongoing. Investigation work is still being done. Police declined to comment on whether they plan to press charges.