In 2023, there have already been 10 children who have died after being left in a hot car — and half of them have come from Florida, according to Kids and Car Safety.
Kids and Car Safety is a nonprofit aimed at preventing children and animals from dying in hot vehicles, and the group tracked reported deaths from across the country through the Fourth of July.
The group’s list starts in February with the death of a 2-year-old boy in Alabama who was inadvertently left in the backseat of his father’s car.
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The nonprofit’s list also includes deaths in places like New York, Texas, Washington and Mississippi. However, half of the 10 cases listed come from the Sunshine State.
Below are the details in each of the cases reported in Florida.
Port St. Lucie — March 6
Court records show that on March 6, 37-year-old James Fidele contacted 911 after finding his 2-year-old boy dead in the backseat of his SUV.
According to police, Fidele had been dropping off children at school that morning, and while he was supposed to drop off the 2-year-old, he instead went home.
Investigators said Fidele had been going through his day when he got into his vehicle to go mail a package. That’s when he realized that the child had been left there for around five hours.
Fidele was later arrested and faces a charge of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle causing great bodily harm.
Holmes County — May 16
In this case, a 2-year-old girl died after she was left in a car for around 14 hours, leading to her parents facing murder charges, according to the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff John Tate discussed the case back in May, saying that the mother, 23-year-old Kathreen Adams, picked up her two daughters from a babysitter after her work shift early in the morning.
The 2-year-old fell asleep, leading to the parents deciding to leave her out in the car instead of bringing her inside, Tate said. He added that the parents didn’t retrieve her from the car until around 3:40 p.m. the same day.
Ultimately, the girl — who was 107 degrees Fahrenheit — died at the scene, Tate stated.
Methamphetamine, CBD, marijuana and other drug paraphernalia were found in the parents’ home, as well, according to law enforcement.
Adams faces charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Meanwhile, the father, 32-year-old Christopher McLean, faces charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance and child neglect with great bodily harm.
The toddler’s 4-year-old sibling has been placed into the custody of the Department of Children and Families, deputies said.
Palm Bay — May 28
An 11-month-old girl who was three days shy of her first birthday was accidentally left in a car in the parking lot of a church for three hours, leading to her death.
An affidavit shows that the girl’s mother, Pastor Bulaine Molme, thought her baby was asleep and in the care of another church member while Molme was leading service at Mount of Olives Evangelical Baptist Church.
Another church member told detectives that someone else normally took care of Molme’s baby in church, but on that morning, surveillance footage showed that Molme and her three other children got out of their car — but no one grabbed the baby.
The report states that Molme didn’t park in her usual parking spot in front of the entrance, where other members usually helped unload the children and church equipment. Instead, she parked on the side of the building, the report shows.
In an interview with Bulaine Molme, police said the mother was remorseful.
She’s been out of jail on $15,000 bond since June 2 and faces a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child. The state attorney’s office hasn’t formally filed the manslaughter charge yet.
Orange City — June 8
On June 8, a 2-year-old girl died after being left in a hot car in Orange City, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said the girl was left in the car after the family returned to their Orange City home from lunch with the child and her two brothers.
The 2-year-old’s parents found the girl unresponsive more than two hours later and drove her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials said.
Lakeland — July 4
An 18-month-old toddler died on the Fourth of July after being left in a hot car for hours, leading to her parents being arrested, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said Joel and Jazmine Rondon, 33, went to a part on July 4 with their three children, including the toddler. The didn’t return home until 3 a.m. the next day, deputies added.
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, Jazmine Rondon brought the two older children inside and gave them something to eat while Joel Rondon was bringing stuff into the home, and she said she told him to bring the toddler inside.
However, Joel Rondon said after he finished, he noted that all the doors were shut on the car, so he assumed that his wife got the toddler, Judd said.
Deputies said it wasn’t until 10 a.m. the next morning that Joel found the toddler in the car. The couple took the child to the hospital, but the child was declared dead with an internal body temperature of over 104 degrees.
“The car was outside, not in a garage, not under a tree not under any shade at all,” Judd said. “And obviously, we will try to recreate with the same temperatures the heat of the car. Research shows us that the temperature of the car could have been anywhere between 130 and 170 degrees at that time.”
Judd said the parents both tested positive for alcohol and marijuana, and Joel Rondon tested positive for methamphetamine. He added that they had smoked marijuana at the party.
Both parents face charges of negligent manslaughter. Meanwhile, the two older children are with relatives.
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