No charges filed in death of 1-year-old child left in truck

No one has been charged in the death of a 1-year-old boy who was found dead inside a truck outside a family home in southwest Albuquerque, police said Monday, though the death is still under investigation.

The child was left in the care of an adult male relative at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and was discovered dead inside the caretaker’s vehicle around 5 p.m. by the family, Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos said at a news conference Monday. Both the family and APD officers attempted “life-saving measures,” but the child was pronounced dead on the scene.

Sometime between the morning and afternoon, the caretaker left the child inside of the truck and walked away from a residence. Police don’t know where he went or how long he was gone. The baby was left in the truck for “several hours,” though the exact time is unknown, Gallegos said.

Police investigators believe the baby died due to high temperatures inside the vehicle, Gallegos said.

At this time, no charges are being filed against the relative who left the child in the truck, he said.

Temperatures peaked at 82 degrees on Sunday in Albuquerque, according to the National Weather Service. There have been documented hot car deaths in temperatures as low as the 60 degrees, according to data from the Kids and Car Safety, an advocacy group.

Gallegos urged parents and caregivers to double check backseats for their little ones, especially ahead of blistering summer temperatures where tragedies can happen much quicker.

“It seems like common sense to everyone, but also we live in a crazy world and people are rushed and may not be thinking clearly,” Gallegos said.

There have been at least three other hot car child deaths in the U.S. this year, according to Kids and Car Safety. In more than half of hot-car deaths, the child is unknowingly left by their caregiver, data shows.

Kids and Car Safety recommends parents place a visible reminder, such as a stuffed animal in the passenger seat or on the dashboard, every time they drive with a baby. The group also recommends leaving something you can’t start your day without, such as a wallet, cell phone or work keycard, in the backseat to remind yourself.

“Any death is obviously a tragedy, but a 1-year-old is really difficult to fathom,” Gallegos said.