Authorities said a woman left her 9-year-old daughter in a car around 6 a.m. When she checked on her after he shift, the child was unresponsive and later died.
GALENA PARK, Texas — A girl died Tuesday after being left unattended in a car at a Galena Park plant parking lot, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
It happened at an industrial complex along the Houston Ship Channel just south of Clinton Drive.
Gonzalez said a woman who works at the facility brought her daughter to work and knowingly left her in the car when her shift began around 6 a.m. The child was left with some water and the windows cracked, Gonzalez said. When the mother checked on the child when she got off work around 2 p.m., the 9-year-old was unresponsive.
RELATED: Tips to prevent heat injuries and deaths in hot cars where temps can climb 19 degrees in 10 minutes
CPR was started on the child, and she was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
It’s unclear if the child has previous medical issues. Gonzalez said a window shade was put up in the front window of the car, which would have made it hard for people in the parking lot to see the child inside.
The mother was detained and taken in for questioning. It’s unclear if she will face charges.
Air 11 was over the scene on Tuesday afternoon around 4 p.m. In the facility’s parking lot, crime scene tape was blocking off three vehicles — a car, an SUV and a truck. Investigators later said the girl was left inside the car. Multiple law enforcement vehicles were also in the parking lot.
Workers were seen huddling underneath an overhang nearby.
Gonzalez said there appeared to be cameras in the parking lot that might have captured what happened.
Here’s a map of the area:
Kathleen Prause with USG Corp. issued a statement Tuesday night, saying:
“I can confirm a medical emergency occurred today at a USG plant in Galena Park, TX, involving the child of an employee. Our thoughts are with the family of the child and all those impacted. Our top priority is always the safety and wellbeing of USG team members and our community.
We are monitoring the situation closely and are cooperating fully with local authorities as they respond and conduct their investigation.
We will provide updates as appropriate.”
Prevent hot car deaths
Doctors say leaving a child in a hot car can become dangerous in a matter of minutes.
“Once you start getting to a body core temperature higher than 102, 104, or higher, that can cause significant damage to the brain, organs,” said Dr. Anthony Arredondo of Texas Children’s Hospital. “So it’s hard to say what time frame, the longer they are in there, the worse it is.”
If you see a child or pet left inside a vehicle alone, you are encouraged to call 911 immediately.
Car temperatures can climb by 19 degrees in just 10 minutes.
According to the National Safety Council, 38 kids die every year after being left in hot cars.
Many deaths can be prevented by teaching your kids these four things:
- How to unbuckle their car seat.
- How to honk the horn.
- How to turn on flashers or hazard lights.
- How to unlock the front doors if the child lock is on the back doors.