4-month-old Florida girl dies after being left in hot daycare van for nearly 5 hours

Updated

A 4-month-old Florida girl died on Wednesday after she was left in her daycare's van for nearly five hours in 92-degree heat.

Emergency responders were called to Ewing's Love & Hope Preschool and Academy over reports of an unresponsive infant, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The baby, later identified as Brooklyn Isaac, was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Authorities say the victim was picked up earlier that day with her two older siblings and brought to the facility in a van driven by the academy's co-owner, 56-year-old Darryl Ewing.

Pictured: Darryl Ewing (Credit: Jacksonville Sheriffs Office)

The van arrived at the daycare around 8:25 a.m. and the children were offloaded and taken into the center. Police say Ewing then parked the van in front of the daycare and left it unattended with Brooklyn still strapped in her car seat in the vehicle's third row.

No one realized the child had been left behind until her mother, Lancia Isaac, called the daycare to make pick up arrangements for her three children. It was then discovered that the 4-month-old was never checked in to the facility that morning, leading employees to check the van and find the lifeless baby.

It is believed Brooklyn may have suffered a "heat-related injury," Sheriff's Office Assistant Chief Brian Kee said during a press conference.

Ewing was arrested following a preliminary investigation, which included "interviews of other daycare center employees that were present" at the time of the incident.

"It was determined, the suspect’s actions (and lack thereof) failed to provide the victim with the necessary supervision and provide services to protect the victim’s physical health, all which was essential to the victim’s well-being and contributed to the death of the victim," the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office stated.

The suspect is currently being held on a $75,000 bond, WJXT reports.

Isaac started a GoFundMe following her daughter's death in order to help cover the cost of her funeral.

"The team of doctors and nurses did everything in their power to save my beautiful baby girl but she couldn't be revived," the grieving mother wrote. "The tragedy has left our city outraged and full of sorrow. My family is in shambles and with so many unanswered questions."

The page has raised $2,500 of its $10,000 goal.

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