GLENDALE, Ariz. — Bobby Luppio and Nichole Arias were at an apartment complex in Glendale Monday when they witnessed the heartbreaking scene. A 1-year-old girl was pronounced dead after she was left in a hot car for at least a few hours, police say.
Glendale PD says the department received several calls just after 4:30 p.m. from the apartment complex after the girl's father found her unresponsive inside the family's car.
Luppio remembers seeing the girl's father speeding in his car through the apartment complex parking lot.
"I yelled at the guy going by and I was like what’s wrong with you, slow down," Luppio said.
Luppio said as the girl's father was pulling out, the fire truck was pulling into the apartment complex.
"He turned around and threw his car in the first parking spot he seen which was next to my truck and he fell out of his car crying and screaming,” Luppio said.
Arias said the girl's father was "very inconsolable," and the girl's mother showed up shortly after.
"I think she came from work she was very nicely dressed backpack lunch pale and they had to explain to her what happened and she lost it," Arias said.
Firefighters performed CPR on the baby—but sadly their efforts came too late. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Arias described the scene as being very chaotic.
"Police, fire department, I mean everywhere," Arias said. "I think everybody was trying to figure out what was going on because in a matter of minutes police tape went up, the whole nine yards."
Luppio, who said he's still sad over the girl's death, said they watched the scene until authorities removed the girl's body around 11 p.m. Monday.
The girl's death marks the first reported hot car death in Arizona this year.
Glendale police said Tuesday the investigation is ongoing, but both parents are cooperating and are "very upset over losing their child."
Glendale PD says an autopsy is scheduled for later in the day Tuesday.
