Texas mom accused of leaving daughter to die in 97 degree hot car while she went to work
The woman was charged after leaving her 9-year-old girl in her car all day during the sweltering heat of a Texas summer.
A woman in Texas stands accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter, after she allegedly left her alone in a hot car during a hot summer day while she went off to work.
The mother, 36-year-old Gbemisola Akayinode, has been charged with felony murder and booked into the Harris County Jail, according to an announcement from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on Friday.
The charges were brought more than three months after the alleged crime was committed. The tragic incident is said to have happened on July 1, when the defendant drove to work at a mineral plant in Galena Park on Mayo Shell Road with her young daughter, Oluwasikemi Akayinode.
READ MORE: Donald Trump mounting health fears could see him removed from officeREAD MORE: Woman gives birth to record-breaking baby bigger than a three-month oldAccording to the sheriff, the mother left her child inside "with the back windows partially down" to begin her shift at 6 am.
While the little girl was left some water, she was left for many hours, and the temperature would have climbed to an unbearable degree. At about 2 p.m., after her eight-hour shift ended, Gbemisola Akayinode went to check on her daughter, whom she found unresponsive, Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported.
The girl was later pronounced dead in the hospital as a result of hyperthermia.
Texas is known to reach very high temperatures during the summer months, and according to AccuWeather, the temperature in the area on that day reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
While it is unclear exactly where the defendant's car was parked, Google Maps' imaging of the area does not appear to show many places where there would be sufficient shade.
Sheriff Gonzalez is also reported to have said that a window shade was put up in the front window of the car, which would make it difficult for anyone to see inside the vehicle.
One expert on hot car deaths gave their insight into the situation, saying it was unusual for several reasons.
A university professor, Jan Null, told a local TV station, "The scenario in the case in Galena Park is when the parent knowingly leaves a child in the car. Not to do them harm, but they make the conscious decision to leave the child in the car while they do something else”.
He continued, "While I go to work, I go to the casino, while I meet up with somebody…"
The felony murder statute under Texas law reads: "a person whose conduct causes an unintended death during the commission or attempted commission of a felony is guilty of murder."