BRADENTON, Fla. — A man is being criminally charged after detectives proved he left his girlfriend's 6-year-old daughter in a hot car in Manatee County, the sheriff's office said.
The investigation began around 5:15 p.m. on May 20. The sheriff's office said 24-year-old Markise Outing drove to a Manatee County Fire Department station in Bradenton looking for medical attention for a child.
Paramedics attending the little girl noticed she was unconscious, not breathing and was possibly in cardiac arrest, a news release said. First responders kept providing life-saving care until the girl was rushed to a local hospital for "advanced care."
When she got to the hospital, staff reportedly found her body core temperature was at 107.2 degrees. The 6-year-old girl died at 8:16 p.m. on May 20.
Outing reportedly told deputies at the time that the little girl was over-heated because she'd been playing at the park. However, investigators said they found evidence proving otherwise.
GPS data, along with "extensive investigation" showed Outing left the 6-year-old girl inside a parked car at his place of business for several hours, the sheriff's office said. Deputies said there were also inconsistencies in Outing's statements.
Further investigation reportedly proved Outing picked up his girlfriend's daughter from school and drove to a business on 19th Street Court East off of 44th Avenue East around 2:45 p.m., the release said. Once there, deputies said he left the little girl inside the car alone with the windows rolled up while he was inside the business.
Deputies said the estimated temperature inside the car rose above 115 degrees.
The sheriff's office said an autopsy determined the girl died from extreme heat. A toxicology report showing the manner of death is still pending, detectives said.
After gathering evidence and building a case, detectives said they arrested Outing on June 25, a little more than a month after the 6-year-old girl died. He is charged with aggravated manslaughter.
