A 36-year-old man is behind bars after police say he left a 6-month-old baby in a hot car for most of the day Monday, leading to the child’s death.
Investigators say Camerone Leichman drove his partner to work at Rockwall Heath High School that morning but failed to drop the infant off at daycare. According to police, the baby remained strapped in a rear-facing car seat for about eight hours while temperatures outside climbed into the upper 90s.
When Leichman returned to the school that afternoon to pick up his common-law wife, authorities say the child was discovered unresponsive in the back seat. First responders reported the baby’s body temperature had reached 107 degrees.
Leichman was arrested and charged with injury to a child, a second-degree felony. He remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Child advocates say the case is another tragic reminder of how quickly hot car deaths can happen in Texas, where more than 100 children have died in similar circumstances over the past 25 years.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube