PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 2-year-old boy from Port St. Lucie is dead after he was left in a hot car for hours, according to multiple reports.
Port St. Lucie police said the boy's father, 37-year-old James Fidele, called 911 around 1 p.m. Monday after realizing he forgot to take his son out of the car when he got home hours earlier, WPBF reports.
First responders arrived and reportedly began life-saving measures before transporting the boy to the hospital, where he later died.
Fidele was arrested on one charge of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle, causing great bodily harm. The Florida Department of Children and Families has also been notified, according to WPTV.
"This is a very unfortunate and tragic incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family during this difficult time," Sgt. John Dellacroce said in a statement obtained by the news station.
According to the National Safety Council, an average of 38 children die every year from being left in a hot car. Experts say a child's body heats up 3-5 times faster than an adult and car temperatures can rise 19 degrees in 10 minutes.
If you see a child inside a locked car, you're protected under Florida law to respond. If possible, police say you should open the door, take the child out of the car and call 911. If the door is locked, grab a pointed object like a rock and go to the opposite window of where the child is and hit the corner of the window to break it in.