5-Year-Old Dies After Being Left In Hot Car In Houston: Police

HOUSTON, TX — A 5-year-old boy died after his mother left him in their car for several hours at their northeast Houston home Monday afternoon, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

Family of the victim told authorities the mother was in a rush to prepare for a birthday party for the boy's 8-year-old sister and left him in the car for two to three hours before realizing he was still in there, a Harris County Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed to Patch.

The family returned from shopping for the party to its home in a cul-de-sac on Blair Hill Lane, and the mother and daughter got out of the car to prepare for the party, but the son remained in the car. It wasn't until the mother called for the son and didn't hear an answer that she realized where he was, family told police.

Constables from Harris County Precinct 3 found the child deceased and notified the Harris County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the incident. The Harris County Sheriff's Office homicide and child crimes investigators will present their findings to the Harris County District Attorney's Office.