A Florida toddler, who was only two years old, was left inside the vehicle for five hours by his half-sister. The sister went to work at a daycare center when she left the boy inside the car.
The boy was identified as Jacob Manchego. His half-sister, 21-year-old Fiorella Vanessa Silva-Tello, found him unresponsive in the locked SUV, which was left parked at a shopping plaza. The boy was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead later, Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.
Police said Silva-Tello was employed at Best Friends for Kidz, which is a Christian-based child care and learning center. She arrived for work at 9:30 a.m. and only went back to the car at around 2:30 p.m. to check on the unattended child, ABC News reported. Witnesses said they saw the woman running from the car with the baby and she looked like she was trying to get some help.
She was able to take Manchego at a dialysis center in the shopping plaza where first aid was administered. The Hillsborough County Fire Rescue team later arrived and transported the child to the hospital. No charged were filed yet as the investigation is ongoing. On the day the child died, the temperatures reached 89 degrees.
The day care center where the half-sister worked said they doubted their employee intentionally killed her brother. They added, "Today, a sweet little boy passed away. He had a remarkable laugh, he was full of energy and he loved to give hugs. His name was Jacob and he was two years old." They said they believe the two-year-old boy was forgotten to be in the vehicle and that he died due to heat exhaustion, New York Daily News reported.
Best Friends for Kidz is asking for donations and cards to help with the family's funeral expenses. Detectives are currently interviewing Silva-Tello and other witnesses. They are also gathering physical evidence.
