A toddler died after her father left her in a hot car on a 105-degree day for nine hours after drinking, according to Louisiana authorities.
Joseph Boatman, 32, allegedly strapped his 1-year-old daughter into her car seat and left her there on Sunday, the hottest day of the year, according to a press release from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
On Sunday, temperatures reached around 105 degrees in Madisonville, about 30 miles north of New Orleans.
Boatman left his daughter buckled in her car seat after picking her up from a relative shortly after 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to detectives from the STPSO Major Crimes Unit.
According to police, Boatman drank “multiple alcoholic beverages” before picking up his daughter.
He then allegedly went back inside and never returned for his daughter, who was found unresponsive inside the car by a family member around 12 p.m. on Sunday, according to police.
“This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face,” Sheriff Randy Smith of the STPSO said.
“When a child is left in a vehicle, particularly on a day when the heat index exceeds 100 degrees, the consequences can be fatal in minutes. This case involved a compromised judgment, and the outcome was heartbreaking.
Boatman, of Hammond, Louisiana, was arrested on Sunday and charged with second-degree murder.
As of Tuesday, he was still in jail on a $750,000 bond.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether he had legal representation or when his next court appearance was scheduled.
