After an unresponsive 2-year-old child was found in a car in Midland, Texas, on Sunday evening, authorities say they have charged her father with capital murder.
The Midland Police Department said in a statement that 25-year-old Lorenzo Rodriguez fell asleep in his residence on Sunday morning, around 11 a.m. CDT, leaving the toddler in a car that was not running. The tragedy was uncovered with the family's help in the 100 block of East Pecan Avenue at 8 p.m. CDT.
"Based on the evidence gathered during the investigation into the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Lorenzo was charged with capital murder," the department said.
Temperatures in Midland, Texas, reached 100 degrees Sunday afternoon, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
A parked vehicle can become dangerously hot within minutes, even when outdoor temperatures are not at record levels. Sunlight heats a vehicle's interior surfaces, which then radiate heat, causing the interior temperature to rise rapidly.
