A baby girl who was found dead in a car parked in a Procter & Gamble employee parking lot in Ohio was left there by her mother while she was at work, authorities said Wednesday night.
The 15-month-old was found around 5pm Wednesday in the P&G parking lot in Mason, about 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati, said Doyle Burke, the chief investigator for the Warren County Coroner’s Office.
Burke said it appears the mother, who is a P&G employee, left the baby unattended in her car seat all day and called 911 when she returned to the vehicle and found the girl unresponsive.
A toddler left in a car at the Procter & Gamble Business Center in Ohio died on Wednesday
Police said they believe the death was the result of heat inside the vehicle
While an official cause of death has not yet been determined, investigators believe it was the result of high temperatures inside the vehicle.
‘My baby just died. My baby just died. My baby just died!’ said the woman who called police to report the death.
‘She’s dead. She’s dead. She’s dead!’ the woman added. ‘I left her in the car!’
When the dispatcher tried to walk her through administering mouth-to-mouth CPR, the woman said: ‘She’s dead! She’s already dead!’
The preliminary findings of the autopsy, completed by Dr. Russell Uptegrove from the Warren County Coroner’s Office, were consistent with a heat-related death.
‘Even though it wasn’t sweltering hot today, it’s obviously gonna be hotter in the car,’ Burke said. ‘And certainly a 15-month-old is more susceptible to something like this than an adult. Any time something happens like this, it’s preventable. It’s a wakeup call to anyone who has children: Just be careful.’
Investigators said it was unclear if the mother would face any charges. They have not released her name.
‘We are aware of a tragic accident that took place on the campus of P&G’s Mason Business Center earlier today,’ Cincinnati-based consumer products giant P&G said in a statement Wednesday night.
The mother, a P&G employee, left her child unattended in the car all day
By the time crews arrived, the 15-month-old girl was dead in the back seat
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the affected family. We are providing our full support to both the family and local officials.’
A spokesperson for P&G said the company does not have a daycare facility.
While the investigation is ongoing, Burke said the case should serve as a warning to other parents.
‘Well certainly anytime something like this happens that’s preventable, it’s a wake-up call to anyone that has children,’ Burke said. ‘Just be careful.’