Death Toll of Children Left in Cars at 5 in State

The deaths of two young Simi Valley brothers from heat exposure over the weekend are only the latest incidents in California involving children left unattended in vehicles this summer.

So far this year, there have been five heat-related deaths of youngsters left in vehicles, according to a San Francisco-based group that tracks such cases. Nationwide, at least 34 children have died similarly during the same period.

“We’ve learned you never leave a kid alone in a bathtub. We’ve learned to be super-cautious around swimming pools. Why should this be any different? You’re literally leaving them in a 3,000-pound lethal weapon,” said Janette E. Fennell, co-founder of Kids ‘N Cars.

Leaving a child alone in a vehicle with the windows rolled up even for a few minutes can be deadly, experts said.

“That small child is just like a sponge absorbing heat,” said John Wilson, a paramedic coordinator with the Ventura County Fire Department. “At 102 or 103 degrees, their brain cells begin to die. They literally just overheat.”

Simi Valley resident Marlene Heath, 39, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the deaths of her sons, Jake, 3, and Dylan, 13 months. Authorities said she left them in a minivan parked in the family’s driveway for four hours while she took a nap.

The boys, who were strapped into safety seats, died of heat exhaustion inside the van with the windows rolled up as temperatures rose to 87 degrees. Experts estimated the van’s interior probably reached about 120 degrees.

Heath, who posted $50,000 bail on Monday, has been ordered to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on Friday for possible arraignment. Prosecutors are still reviewing evidence in the case and have not yet filed charges.

Should Heath be ordered to trial, prosecutors believe it would be the first case of its kind in Ventura County. If convicted, Heath could serve a maximum of eight years in prison.

Authorities said such cases are frustrating because the deaths could be easily prevented.

“Our officers have family, too, and it’s very difficult for them to see something like this, something that’s so avoidable,” said Sandi Wells, spokeswoman for the Ventura County Fire Department. “Just use common sense. Don’t leave a child or a pet or any living thing in a car on a hot day where temperatures can reach well into the mid-100s.”

The Simi Valley incident follows the death of a 5-month-old San Jose boy, who died in late July after being left alone in a car with the windows rolled up for two hours in 86-degree weather.

On July 1, a 22-month-old girl died inside the family’s van in Desert Hot Springs. On June 29, a 3-year-old Rialto girl died after she was left in a car for about 20 minutes.

Authorities said answering the call of a child trapped in a hot vehicle is among the most heartbreaking, but it happens all the time, even to good parents.

“Last year, we had eight dads who were on their way to work and forgot to drop the kids at day care,” Fennell said. “These were an engineer, a lawyer--not deadbeat dads. They literally forgot there was a baby in the back seat.”

Outside temperatures, the color of the car’s interior and exterior, and the age of the child are all factors in how long a child can survive, Fennell said.

Parents are urged to be extra careful, because new vehicles feature automatic locks, folding seats that can trap and block a young child from view and dark tinted windows that may prevent others from seeing inside.

Neighbors Never Saw Kids in Van

In the Simi Valley case, neighbors said they were around the van during the time the children were inside, but never saw the youngsters, probably because the van had tinted windows.

According to police, Heath parked the family’s van in the driveway after returning home from a short trip with her two sons on Saturday. She went inside to take a nap about 2:30 p.m., police said.

When she woke about four hours later, Heath ran outside to check on the boys, who were unresponsive, police said. Afterward, Heath called her husband’s office at a Westlake Village car dealership. Philip Heath then called 911.

Police are awaiting blood-test results to determine if the mother had been drinking at the time.

Those who knew Heath described her as a doting mother, who often took her children on strolls through the neighborhood.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” said next-door neighbor Janet Carbine. “She was a loving mother, so I just don’t know what happened. It makes more sense if she was just running in to grab the phone or something. But four hours, that’s hard to understand.”

Couple Leaning on Each Other

A family friend of the Heaths, who declined to be identified, said the couple have been together since Marlene Heath posted bail. They are leaning on each other for support, the man said.

“They are together in this hand-in-hand,” the friend said. “They are very much in love with each other, and they support each other 100%. This was a terrible, terrible accident.”

*

Times staff writers Holly Wolcott and Timothy Hughes contributed to this story.