James Fidele, 37, has been arrested following his child's death after being left in a vehicle. (St. Lucie Sheriff's Office)
Port. St. Lucie, Fla.
Authorities in Florida say a father has been arrested after leaving his child in a vehicle for hours which led to the toddler’s death.
According to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, officers were called to a neighborhood Monday afternoon regarding a 2-year-old that had been left in a vehicle for several hours.
Authorities said the child’s father, later identified as 37-year-old James Fidele, called 911 after discovering he forgot to take his child out of the vehicle when he arrived home earlier that morning.
The department said first responders arrived at the home and began life-saving measures before transferring the child to the hospital.
However, the 2-year-old was later pronounced deceased.
Detectives arrested Fidele and charged him with leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle and causing great bodily harm.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified of the situation to provide support and resources to the family.
“This is a very unfortunate and tragic incident, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family during this difficult time,” Sergeant John Dellacroce said.