A Nebraska foster mother has been arrested following a hot-vehicle death involving a five-year-old child, who police say had been left unattended in an SUV for an "extended period of time."
Juanita Pinon, 40, is facing a charge of child abuse by neglect, resulting in death, after the incident that allegedly unfolded in Omaha on Wednesday, according to the city’s police department.
"Omaha Police Officers were called to 3025 N 93rd Street at approximately 5:11 pm on Wednesday July 10, 2024, for an unresponsive child," police said in a statement. "The 5-year-old child was located inside of a vehicle and transported to the hospital by medics where the child was pronounced deceased.
"At this time, it appears that the child was left unattended inside of a vehicle for an extended period of time," police added.
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The temperature in Omaha peaked at 86 degrees on Wednesday before the child was found, the Associated Press reported.
It was the tenth hot-car-death in the U.S. this year, according to data from Kids and Car Safety.
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The day before, in Marana, Arizona, just outside of Tucson, a two-year-old girl died after being left alone in a vehicle.
"Initial information revealed the father of the 2 year-old girl arrived home while she was asleep in the vehicle. The father left the vehicle on and running in the driveway, with the air conditioning on and child inside," the Marana Police Department said.
"He then went inside the residence. The mother was not initially home, but shortly after she arrived, the child was discovered in the vehicle, which was no longer running and the air conditioning was off," police added.
The high temperature in Marana on Tuesday was 111 degrees, according to Fox10 Phoenix.
