VICKSBURG, Mich. — Police reports detailing the death of a 3-year-old boy found in the backseat of his father's car have been released.
According to documents obtained by FOX 17, the father put his two children in the car that morning at about 6 a.m. on August 13 — his older daughter getting herself out and going into daycare alone— then continued on to work in Brady Township without dropping off his son.
Kalamazoo
3-year-old boy found dead in Vicksburg car
Police reports say he could not account for why he didn't stop at his son's daycare, telling detectives the children usually fall asleep during the ride to daycare and there was nothing unusual about that morning.
In his interview with police, the father said he went straight to the grocery store after work, not looking in the backseat until he was loading groceries inside around 3:15 p.m.
An account by police of the security footage at his place of work would later show the father's windows were tinted, obscuring the car seat and boy from view.
Witness accounts at the store match the father's statement that he became distraught at finding his son in the vehicle. A woman approached, seeing something was wrong, and had a nearby employee call 911.
She checked the boy, but found he was beyond help. EMTs would later agree; there was nothing that could be done by that time.
Investigators determined the boy died during the time the father was at work in Brady Township; between 6:40 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The report noted the temperature was 83°F that day. Forensic testing of the vehicle found the temperature would've risen to nearly 120°F during the time it was parked at the father's place of employment.
Toxicology reports have not been released, however, early in the investigation cause of death was determined to be prolonged heat exhaustion.
You can read the full report here:
Vicksburg Child Death Police Report by WXMI on Scribd
The names of the father and son have not been made public. So far no charges against the father have been announced.
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