Girl, 9, bakes to death in car after mom left her with snacks and water while she worked
A nine-year-old Texas girl tragically died after being left inside a sweltering car while her mother was at work.
The 36-year-old mom left her young daughter in the backseat of her Toyota Camry while she clocked in for her 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift at United States Gypsum in Galena Park on Tuesday.
The mother, whose position at the construction manufacturing company is unknown, reportedly left her adolescent daughter with 'some water, the windows partially down, and proceeded to go to work for the day,' according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
It was unclear whether the mother had returned at all before the end of her shift.
Gonzalez said: 'I don't know if anyone checked on the child throughout the day.'
Harris County authorities were contacted by the worry-stricken mother at 2:06 p.m.
First responders arrived at the scene around 3:15 p.m. and attempted CPR and other life-saving measures, ABC13 reported.
The child was then transported to Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital - 10 miles from the warehouse - where she was pronounced dead.
The Harris County Sheriff said: 'A nine-year-old beautiful little girl has lost her life by no fault of her own.'
He confirmed that the mother was detained, with charges likely pending.
The white, four-door sedan had been parked in an unshaded area of the gated warehouse parking lot, where outside temperatures reached a brutal 97 degrees by the afternoon.
Gonzalez said: 'The temperature is extremely high, as we know - I think it's at least 97 degrees. Any amount of time can be very dangerous and even fatal for a small child. A child's temperature increases at a much higher rate than an adult's.'
He added: 'You can be sympathetic to her situation,' noting that it's still unclear whether lack of childcare or family issues played a role in the decision. 'It's never acceptable to leave a child in the car.'
Gonzalez said the sheriff's office is continuing its investigation before any formal charges are filed.
He said: 'The point is that the risk of death or harm - there's just no reconciling that in my mind at a personal level,' he said.
'You've got to make other arrangements, whether it be with your employer. It's just not worth it to put a child at risk like this for any particular reason. If you have hardships, by all means, work with neighbors, family, and social service agencies.'
USG Corp. spokesperson Kathleen Prause confirmed the incident in a statement issued Tuesday night.
'I can confirm a medical emergency occurred today at a USG plant in Galena Park, TX, involving the child of an employee. Our thoughts are with the family of the child and all those impacted.
'Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of USG team members and our community. We are monitoring the situation closely and are cooperating fully with local authorities as they respond and conduct their investigation. We will provide updates as appropriate.'
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