Florida Teacher Leaves Baby In Car While At School, Infant Pronounced Dead At The Scene

Florida teacher Chandra Larson, 38, left a 6-month-old baby in her SUV in front of the Deltona Middle School. The baby boy was found dead inside the hot car on Friday. Trenton Cason-Collins was pronounced dead at the scene.

Chandra Larson was a cousin to the baby, which she had been taking care of for about six weeks, the Daily Mail reports. The Florida teacher found the baby’s dead body around 4 p.m. and called 911, Volusia County Sheriff’s spokesman Gary Davidson said.

The temperatures reportedly reached a high of 86 in central Florida the day the Deltona Middle School teacher left the baby in the car.

“Oh my God… He’s dead,” Larson screamed into the phone during the 911 call, according to a report by the Orlando Sentinel. The teacher then reportedly became so overwhelmed that she handed the phone to a co-worker.

”I think she forgot the child and left him in the school lot, in the car all day while she was at work,” the co-worker told the Volusia County 911 operator. No charges have yet been filed against the Florida middle school teacher. The investigation into the baby’s death is still under investigation by the county medical examiner. An autopsy of the infant was reportedly scheduled for today.

A moment of silence for the baby was observed at Deltona Middle School. Balloons and stuffed animals filled the parking lot as part of a makeshift memorial.

“I can’t say I’ve dealt with one on a school parking lot, but anytime a loss of life gets us all, especially a child,” Sheriff Ben Johnson said. “This takes its toll on everybody involved, the faculty of the school, your deputies, everybody involved when you see a child lose its life, it always takes a toll on everybody.”

Middle school principal Dr. Richard Inge sent an phone message to parents after the baby was found dead in the teacher’s SUV.

“This tragedy has broken the hearts of all of us in the school district. We will stand by the family with love and compassion. As many of you are aware, on Friday afternoon a horrific tragedy occurred on our campus. A six-month old baby, who resided with one of our faculty members passed away. We are deeply saddened and send out our heartfelt sympathies to the family.”

The Volusia County School District also issued a statement about the baby’s death on Friday afternoon.

“Our deepest sympathy goes out to the family and the Deltona Middle School community.”

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