A 2-year-old girl died after she was left in a car with the heater on and windows rolled up for more than five hours while her mother drank alcohol with a friend in or around Los Angeles, California. The mother had already lost custody of a child in the past.
2-year-old June Love Augusto died at a hospital on September 23, 2019 after she was found unconscious inside her mother’s vehicle, which was parked on South Vermont Avenue in the unincorporated county area of West Carson during the early-morning hours, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
After first telling officials she left the child alone for only a few minutes while she knocked on a babysitter’s door, she ultimately admitted that was not the case, according to the coroner’s report.
The girl’s mother told investigators she left the child in the car, alone, about 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 21, then got into another vehicle nearby to drink alcohol with a friend, according to the coroner’s report. The woman said she turned on the car’s heater and placed a blanket on her daughters lap so she wouldn’t get cold.
The woman reported that she fell asleep and awoke about 5 a.m., the report stated. She checked on the toddler and found she was unresponsive in her car seat.
“Vomit was present on her shirt and the car seat. Skin was coming off the decedent’s back,” the report said. ” The mother then places the girl on the grass and sprayed her with the water hose in an attempt to cool her down. The decedent was taken into the house and a call was placed to 911.”
Paramedics took the girl to a hospital, but she could not be saved, officials said. Paramedics noted apparent burns to the girls face, chest and arms, as well as cloudiness in her eyes, the report stated. “Her temperature upon arrival was 107.5 degrees.”
The mother had a history of drug abuse and lost custody of an older child six years ago due to neglect. The child was taken during a drug bust in which the mother and a man were arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine for sales, operating a drug factory and risk of injury to a minor in Connecticut.
