YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — A 6-month-old baby is dead after they were left alone in a car for several hours in the Arizona summer.
According to a woman claiming to be the infant's mother, it was the babysitter who left the child unattended in a car for seven hours.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Bebé muere luego de que la persona que lo cuidaba lo deja dentro del auto, dice la familia
The mother asked to remain anonymous at this time but said she is absolutely devastated. She claims her neighbor was watching the 6-month-old while she worked. According to the mom, the neighbor dropped her off Tuesday afternoon and then forgot the baby in their car.
The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said the agency received a report Tuesday night at about 9 p.m. about an infant left in a car and believed to be deceased. Deputies and paramedics responded to the Cordes Lakes area, where the baby was found dead.
YCSO confirmed the baby was allegedly left alone for up to seven hours in the neighbor's car.
The neighbor was supposed to drop the baby off with the child's father. When the father called at about 9 p.m. asking where the baby was, the neighbor then realized the child was still in their vehicle, YCSO said.
12News went to the neighbor's house to ask about the situation but a man on the property declined to comment.
YCSO said a juvenile neighbor has been arrested and is facing a charge of negligent homicide.
The incident remains under investigation.
UP TO SPEED
What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.