A five-year-old boy died in the United States on Wednesday after his adoptive mother left him in a hot car for seven hours in extreme heat, police officials said. The boy was trapped in 31 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit) heat, making it the tenth hot car incident in the country, according to a report in New York Post Office.
Juanita Pinon, 40, is accused of abandoning her adopted son Dionicio Perez inside a burning SUV in the parking lot in front of the beauty salon where she works in Omaha, Nebraska, resulting in a tragic incident. Ms. Pinon, who has a criminal record dating back to 2016, according to prosecutors, parked her car and then left for work. However, it remains unclear whether Perez’s death was the result of an accident or a deliberate action.
Dionício was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital when his body temperature rose to 105 degrees. The woman, who is believed to be caring for five other children, was arrested and charged with negligent child abuse resulting in death. Notably, she could spend up to 20 years in prison if she is found guilty.
The local NBC affiliate reported that his bail was set at $2 million. Pinon was previously convicted of theft by deception in 2016 after defrauding non-English-speaking renters of $12,000. According to the report, state government officials told the boy’s biological father, Pablo Lopez, and stepmother, Jenny, that their son was in good hands despite seeking custody.
The 5-year-old boy’s twin sister, who turned 5 in June, is also in Lopez’s custody, according to a GoFundMe page set up to raise money for a lawyer and to get “her sister home safely.” “The twins were placed in foster care despite their father and stepmother’s efforts to bring them home. page said.
“Dionício’s young life was cut short in the most horrendous way. The world lost such a bright, beautiful and young life too soon,” he added.
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