Lorenzo Elias Rodriguez, Midland, Texas dad charged in hot car death of 2-year-old daughter after locking girl in car to sleep off last night’s drinking.
A Midland, Texas father is facing a capital murder charge in the death of their 2-year-old daughter after the girl was found unresponsive inside a locked vehicle amid blistering hot temperatures. The dad according to court documents had locked the child inside the vehicle while sleeping after a night of drinking.
Lorenzo Elias Rodriguez, 25, was arrested on Sunday, according to Midland County according to a Facebook news release from the Midland Police Department.
Officers responded to a residence at 7:56 p.m. CT on Sunday, the release stated. Family members told police they went to the home to check on Rodriguez and his daughter after he allegedly drank alcohol on Saturday night.
Temperatures were up to 99F when dad locked 2-year-old in vehicle
Police said that ‘after repeatedly knocking on the front door’ and receiving no response, the family members went to the side of the residence, removed a window air-conditioning unit and discovered Rodriguez asleep, KDFW reported.
Rodriguez had apparently been asleep since 11 a.m. CT, and family members did not locate the child inside the residence.
The girl, identified as Luciana Madeline Rodriguez, was found inside a Kia vehicle parked outside the residence, KOSA reported. A window was broken and the child was taken to an area hospital, where she later died.
According to the Kids and Car Safety website, it was the 15th hot car death this year.
The high temperature in Midland on Sunday was 99 degrees, KFDW reported. According to the National Weather Service, when it is 99 degrees outside, the temperature inside a car can climb between 130 to 150 degrees in less than an hour.
Rodriguez remains in the Midland County Jail; his bail was set for $1.5 million, online records show.
An investigation is ongoing, police said.
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