4-year-old dies after being found in hot car, police say
FITZGERALD, Ga. (WALB/Gray News) - Officials are investigating after a 4-year-old found locked in a car in Georgia died.
According to the Fitzgerald Police Department, the child was found dead in a car at the Fitz-Carlton Apartments Wednesday afternoon.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the child left an apartment unsupervised before climbing into a car.
He was later found unresponsive inside the car and taken to a hospital. Once at the hospital, the child was pronounced dead.
Police said they have taken 30-year-old Kelsey Monaco into custody.
She is being held at the Ben Hill County Jail and charged with cruelty to children and felony murder.
Fitzgerald Police Chief Williams Smallwood said it’simportant for parents to always make sure they know where their children are.
“You know, make sure you’re supervising your kids, and that you know where they’re at, at all times,” Smallwood said. “Especially if you have them in the car with you. Always to check your back seat and make sure they got out.”
Smallwood said it is especially important to make sure kids are not left in hot cars in states like Georgia, where temperatures in the summer are often over 90 degrees.
“In just 10 minutes, 90 degrees in a closed car can jump up to 109 degrees,” he said. “Then 20 minutes later, you’re talking about 119 degrees, and in an hour, it can get up to 135 degrees inside that car.”
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