PICTURED: Florida day care owner, 56, is arrested after a five-month-old baby girl died when he left her inside a hot van in 92f heat for FIVE HOURS
- Five-month-old baby was left in the van outside the Ewing’s Love & Hope Preschool and Academy at 5868 Lenox Ave in Jacksonville from 8am until 1pm
- The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the daycare at 1.08pm after the baby’s mother discovered her body in the van
- She was transported to the Wolfsons hospital but she was pronounced dead
- Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) shared that the daycare ‘did not notify DCF that they were transporting children
- DCF stated that it would not issue an emergency suspension order to cease operations of the daycare facility, which has been licensed since 2016
Darryl Ewing, the owner of the daycare, was arrested Wednesday night
An infant girl has died after being left alone in a van for roughly five hours outside of a Florida daycare on Wednesday, staff said.
It is believed that the five-month-old baby was left in the van outside the Ewing’s Love & Hope Preschool and Academy at 5868 Lenox Ave in Jacksonville from 8am until 1pm.
The owner of the daycare, Darryl Ewing, 56, was arrested Wednesday night on a child neglect charge.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the daycare at 1.08pm after the baby’s mother discovered her body in the van, the employee explained to First Coast News.
The five-month-old baby was left in the van outside the Ewing’s Love & Hope Preschool and Academy at 5868 Lenox Ave in Jacksonville from 8am until 1pm
She had called the daycare to see how her child was doing but was told by staff that the girl had not been seen.
The mother rushed to the center and found her daughter, dumbfounded when told by employees that they did not know how long she had been inside.
‘Efforts were made to resuscitate the infant and she was transported to the hospital,’ police said in a release. The girl was transported to the Wolfsons hospital but she was pronounced dead at 2.53pm.
As of 3.33pm, no one had been arrested in connection to the girl’s death. JSO did state that the daycare would be held responsible and charges will be determined.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the daycare at 1.08pm after the baby’s mother discovered her body in the van
DCF stated that it would not issue an emergency suspension order to cease operations of the daycare facility, which has been licensed with the DCF since 2016
Authorities also shared that the 14 other children at the facility were not hurt.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) shared that the daycare ‘did not notify DCF that they were transporting children. Therefore, transportation standards were not being monitored.’
DCF also stated that it would not issue an emergency suspension order to cease operations of the daycare facility, which has been licensed with the DCF since 2016.
The infant’s name has not been released.
‘Every day, parents entrust child care providers with their most precious gifts. Tragically, today a family has just been notified of the gut-wrenching loss of their precious baby girl,’ the DCF said in a statement.
‘DCF immediately opened a joint child death and child care licensing investigation in coordination with law enforcement. We will continue to support this family as they mourn the loss of their baby girl.’
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) shared that the daycare ‘did not notify DCF that they were transporting children. Therefore, transportation standards were not being monitored’