Dallas baby may have died from being left in car

Posted Tuesday, Jul. 22, 2008 Comments   (0)  Print Share Share Reprints
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BY BILL MILLER

wmiller@star-telegram.com

A 19-month-old girl may have died from being left too long in a hot vehicle Monday in Dallas, but authorities said Tuesday that they have not yet confirmed that.

A 30-year-old man brought the child at 3:30 p.m. to Dallas Fire-Rescue station number 33, Lt. Vernon Hale, police spokesman. The station, 745 West Illinois Ave., is in the Oak Cliff area of southwest Dallas.

The child was "unresponsive" so firefighters took her to Children's Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, Hale said.

Firefighters, Hale said, "believe the baby may have been left in a hot vehicle, causing her death."

But, he added, the Dallas County medical examiner's office will determine the exact cause of death. That had not been done by early Tuesday morning, said Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse, another police spokesman.

A spokesman for the medical examiner's office referred all questions to police.

Janse said Tuesday morning that the child's name would not be released until after detectives have interviewed family members.

"Detectives gathered evidence from several locations," Janse said, "and (they) have taken statements from several witnesses, including the individual that took the child to the fire station.

"There have been no arrests made nor charges filed in this case."

Check back for more details.

Bill Miller, 817-390-7684

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