Baby’s Hot Trailer Death Leads To Dad’s Arrest

LARGO, FL — A 26-year-old father faces criminal charges after his 8-month-old son died inside the family’s Largo mobile home. The man’s 2-year-old daughter also required hospitalization after authorities say the two children were left inside a mobile home’s bedroom where the temperature had soared to 109 degrees.

According to Largo Police, its offers were called out to the King’s Manor Mobile Home Park at 1399 S. Belcher Road around 12:30 p.m. July 27. When they arrived to assist Pinellas County Child Protection investigators, they found an unresponsive 8-month-old boy. Officer Albin Soto began CPR on the child until paramedics arrived. Despite life-saving efforts, police say the little boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The boy’s 2-year-old sister was transported by paramedics to the hospital for treatment of “severe dehydration,” an email from the police department said.

The investigation that followed the boy’s death and his sister’s hospitalization led to the children’s father, William Francis Hendrickson, being charged with aggravated manslaughter and child neglect, police reported.

According to detectives, “Hendrickson had been previously told by social services not to leave the children in the hot environment of the bedroom.” A test of the temperature inside the room where the boy died revealed it was 109 degrees at 1 p.m., police said.

The incident has police reminding people “hot cars” don’t pose the only hazard when outside temperatures spike.

“The Largo Police would like to remind citizens of the dangers of Florida's high temperatures in confined or poorly ventilated spaces, especially for children, the elderly, and those with special medical concerns,” Lt. Randall Chaney wrote in an email on Friday. “Be aware of the signs of dehydration, heat stress, and heat stroke and take steps to prevent them.”

Hendrickson was booked into the Pinellas County Jail following his Thursday arrest. He remained there Friday in lieu of $150,000 bond, jail records indicate. Hendrickson does not have a prior arrest record in Pinellas County, according to jail records.

According to KidsandCars.org, an average of 37 children across the U.S. die each year after being “trapped inside vehicles.” Twenty-seven children have died in hot car-related incidents so far in 2017. A total of 39 children died from the cause in 2016.

See also: What Parents Need To Know About Hot Cars

Parents can take steps to help prevent heatstroke in their children. Patch has compiled these hot car safety tips for parents from KidsandCars.org and Parents.com.

Tips For Busy Parents

Review this list and keep a printout in your vehicle as a reminder and checklist for the summer.

• Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.
• Put your purse, briefcase, cell phone or lunch in the backseat so you are sure to look before you lock the door.
• Make it a habit to always open the back door of your vehicle every time you park to make sure no child has been left behind.
• Keep a large stuffed animal in the child’s car seat when it’s empty; move the toy to the front seat when a child is riding in the car seat as a visual reminder that a child is on board.
• Place your child’s car seat in the middle of the backseat rather than behind the driver. It’s easier to see the child.
• Arrange with your day-care center or babysitter that you will always call if your child will not be there as scheduled.
• Lock your vehicles at all times -- even in the garage or driveway – so youngsters can’t climb in without your knowledge.
• Keep keys and remote openers out of the reach of children.
• Check vehicles and car trunks first when a child is missing.
• Take action if you see a child alone in a vehicle. Call 911 immediately.
• Discuss the issue of hot-car safety with everyone who drives your child, including partners, grandparents, and babysitters.
• Use drive-through services when available at restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc. to remain in the vehicle with your child.
• Use your debit or credit card to pay for gas at the pump.
• "Never assume someone else — a spouse, an older child — has taken a young kid out of her seat," the magazine says. "Such miscommunication has led to more than a few hot-car deaths.
• Some parents and guardians might want to invest in a device designed to help them remember their tiny passengers. For example, a monitor plays a lullaby when the car stops and a child is in the seat. Or the ChildMinder System sounds an alarm if you walk away and leave your child in the seat ($69.95; babyalert.info).
• Put visual cues in your office and home. Static-cling decals reminding you to check the car seat are available at Emmasinspirations.com and Kidsandcars.org.

Kidsandcars.org marked National Child Vehicular Heatstroke Awareness and Prevention Day on April 26. Safety steps the group suggests include:

• Every time you park your vehicle open the back door to make sure no one has been left behind. "Look Before You Lock."
• Ask your childcare provider or babysitter to call you within 10 minutes if your child hasn't arrived on time.
• Focus on driving and avoid cellphone calls and any other distractions while driving.

People aren't the only ones susceptible to the deadly effects of heat. The recent death of a dog in an animal services vehicle in Manatee County serves as a reminder of the perils four-legged creatures may also face.

Patch's Deb Belt Contributed to this story

Booking photo courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office