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5-year-old left in hot car for ‘extended length of time’ dies in Ohio, cops say

A 5-year-old boy died after he was left in a hot car in Ohio, police say.
A 5-year-old boy died after he was left in a hot car in Ohio, police say. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A 5-year-old boy is dead after Ohio police say he was left in a hot car.

Around 3:15 p.m. June 26, Mansfield police officers were called for reports of an unresponsive child, according to a June 27 news release from the Mansfield Police Department.

When officers arrived, they found a 5-year-old boy unresponsive in his mother’s arms, police said.

Police and fire crews tried to revive the boy and he was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, according to police.

The boy had been left inside his mother’s vehicle for “an extended length of time,” police said.

“Our hearts are heavy for the family of this young child. Any case involving a child carries a deep emotional impact, and this incident is no exception,” police said.

Temperatures reached 89 degrees in Mansfield just before 3 p.m. on June 26, according to Timeanddate.com.

“We would like to remind parents to check their backseats before getting out of their vehicles. On an 85°F day, a car’s interior can become dangerously hot, exceeding temperatures of 119’ 119°F in minutes. When left in a vehicle, these elevated temperatures can result in heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death,” police said.

Detectives are “continuing to collect all the facts” and are awaiting autopsy results before the prosecutor’s office will determine if any charges will be filed, police said.

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This story was originally published June 29, 2025 at 11:20 AM with the headline "5-year-old left in hot car for ‘extended length of time’ dies in Ohio, cops say."

Jennifer Rodriguez
mcclatchy-newsroom
Jennifer Rodriguez is a McClatchy National Real-Time reporter covering the Central and Midwest regions. She joined McClatchy in 2023 after covering local news in Youngstown, Ohio, for over six years. Jennifer has made several achievements in her journalism career, including receiving the Robert R. Hare Award in English, the Emerging Leader Justice and Equality Award, the Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and the Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award.
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