5-Month-Old Left in Vehicle Dies

A 5-month-old girl died Thursday after being left for up to four hours in a minivan parked in downtown Santa Ana, where afternoon temperatures reached 93 degrees, police said.

“Our investigators are questioning the father to find out what happened,” said Sgt. Carlos Rojas, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

“It’s a very sad and emotional situation.

” This is pretty tragic that a child would be left in a car for such an extended time.”

The names of the baby and father were not released, but authorities said they were from Irvine.

The distraught father called 911 about 5 p.m. to report the baby unconscious in his van parked at 3rd and Main streets, Rojas said.

Firefighters took the baby in a fire engine to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.

The father, following in the van, became disoriented and eventually stopped in the parking lot of the DMV office on 1st Street and Grand Avenue.

He was met by police, who drove him to the hospital, authorities said.

Several hours later, the van still sat in the parking lot, surrounded by yellow police tape.

In as little as 15 minutes, parked vehicles can heat up to lethal levels, particularly for small children and pets.

When outside temperatures are above 80 degrees, the interior of a car parked in direct sunlight can reach temperatures of more than 130 degrees.