Authorities in Florida said an 11-month-old baby died after she was left in a hot car for hours while her mother and other family members were attending a church service. According to ClickOrlando, first responders were called to the Mount of Olives Evangelical Church on May 28 after they were notified about an unresponsive minor.
It was later determined that the baby’s mother, Bulaine Molme, left her baby in the hot car for three hours while she and other family members were in the church for a service. Investigators also said that the 37-year-old suspect was to officiate that service, but arrived late.
Molme also entered the church thinking a congregation member had brought her child inside, police said. She, however, noticed her child was nowhere to be found some hours later, causing her to rush to her car, the police added in the release.
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The 37-year-old mother found her child unresponsive in the car seat. Investigators said the baby later died after she was transported to the hospital. Per New York Post, the temperature in Palm Bay on the day of the incident was as high as 81 degrees. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also states that the temperature inside a car can rise up to 105 degrees even when it’s 75 degrees outside.
Unlike adults, children reach high body temperatures at a faster level, and heatstroke occurs when the body’s core temperature jumps up to 104 degrees.
Molme, who hails from Haiti, has since been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. She was released on a $15,000 bond on June 2.
