Autopsy confirms toddler died from being left in car on hot day
BURLINGTON — Crossroads Christian Communications’s flagship show 100 Huntley Street opened Thursday with an emotional call for mourning and prayer after a three-year-old boy died in their Burlington parking lot, pulled from a hot car.
“This was a child whose family is a precious part of the team of our building owner, a family who is in deep pain right now as they mourn the loss of their young son,” said a visibly shaken Cheryl Weber, a host of the show.
Halton police said preliminary autopsy results found the child died of hyperthermia, consistent with the child being left in a hot car for an extended period of time. Police received a 911 call from an “hysterical” man around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday after the boy’s lifeless body was found in the back of a grey Ford Escape that was parked at Crossroads on North Service Road at Kerns Road. Despite resuscitative efforts he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Temperatures in Burlington reached a high of 26 C that day, according to Environment Canada.
Police have not said who made the tragic discovery or how long the boy may have been in the car. The Halton police homicide unit is leading the investigation because of a protocol that mandates all sudden deaths of children under five be investigated by police. No charges have been laid.
“This is an inconceivable tragedy and right now we are focusing on the community and healing,” said Sgt. Dana Nicholas
Building owner Shawn Saulnier of Campbellville, who says he knows the family involved, struggled to find the words as he spoke to the media Thursday morning about the tragic event that occurred outside his building.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Crossroads noted that the building’s new owners “are working closely with authorities while walking with their team through tremendous grief.”
“We continue praying fervently for them and their families, our community, and our staff as we are all affected by this deeply tragic situation,” said Carolyn Innis.