A 3-year-old boy was found dead in a van outside of a Florida day care on Monday night after being left inside the vehicle for nearly 12 hours, a spokesman for the Orlando Police Department said.
Around 8:30 p.m., OPD received a call about a child in a van in the lot outside of Little Miracles Academy Daycare on Plymouth Avenue. They say it was a report about child neglect.
When officers arrived at the day care, they found a preschool-aged child unresponsive inside the vehicle. They later determined that the child was deceased, an officer said during a press conference.
At 8:30 pm, OPD received a call about a child in a van in lot of Little Miracles Academy. A preschool-aged child was found deceased inside pic.twitter.com/jNsHfNkD05
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) August 8, 2017
Orlando Police Chief John Mina says that the child, identified as 3-year-old Myles Hill, was believed to have been inside the car since 9 a.m.
Police say that a female day care worker, who has not been identified at this time, picked up Myles and other children from another day care location and did not realize that Myles was still in the van when they arrived.
When Myles did not arrive at his grandmother's house Monday evening, she called 911 and the day care center immediately.
“This is an absolute tragedy which could have been prevented,” Chief John Mina said in a press conference. "Please ensure that we are checking our checking our vehicles for our kids, it just takes a minute”
Police believe that Myles' death was heat related but are awaiting the autopsy. Criminal charges will be placed against the day care worker after the autopsy is complete. The Florida Department of Children and Families will be conducting an institutional investigation on the day care center.
Just last month, Little Miracle’s Academy was cited by the Florida Department of Children and Families for not properly logging the destination time, arrival time, destination location and departure location when children were being transported. Additionally, earlier this year the daycare was cited for not recording a signed Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements form as well as for leaving 1-year-old children unattended.
