Dad forgot baby in hot car while at home drinking, Texas cops say. He’s charged

A Texas father is accused of leaving his infant son in a hot vehicle, causing his death, while he was inside drinking, officials told news outlets.

Deputies responded to a hospital before 4 p.m. Saturday, June 28, where a 3-month-old boy had been pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in a vehicle near Mission, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office told KRVG.

The child’s father, 34-year-old Ricardo Mata, was arrested the next day, the station reported.

According to the sheriff’s office, Mata told deputies he went home to “lie down,” but left his son in the backseat of the vehicle, MyRGV.com reported. He started drinking and “forgot that the child was in the car,” according to deputies.

He is charged with injury to a child causing death, according to the outlet.

Mata is already facing charges in an unrelated murder from 2021, and is due in court for a hearing on July 21, KVEO reported.

He was also arrested in 2023 on his second DWI charge, the outlet reported.

Mission is a roughly 250-mile drive south from San Antonio.

This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 3:55 PM with the headline "Dad forgot baby in hot car while at home drinking, Texas cops say. He’s charged."