In Texas, a 9-year-old girl has died after being intentionally left alone for about 8 hours in a hot car while her mother was at work. The incident occurred Tuesday in Galena Park, near Houston.
The mother, 36, left her daughter in her white Toyota Camry from about 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., with only some water and the windows partially rolled down. At the end of her shift at a manufacturing plant, she found the little girl unconscious in the car and immediately called the authorities. The little girl was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately there was nothing to be done.
The temperatures outside had reached about 34°C, conditions that make it extremely dangerous to leave a child unattended in a car. The mother was arrested shortly after the incident, but was released pending the results of the autopsy. Authorities are investigating to understand the reasons for this and are considering possible criminal charges.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez emphasized that there is no justification for leaving a child unattended in a car, saying that that the risk of death is too high and that other solutions need to be found, even in economically difficult situations. He also pointed out that this situation is unusual, as most hot car deaths are accidents, while in this case the child was left intentionally.
This tragic event represents the third hot car death in Texas in the past four days and at least the 13th nationwide in 2025, according to Kids and Car Safety, an organization that focuses on preventing these accidents.
