Five-Month-Old Baby Dies After Father Leaves Her In Car Seat For Four Hours

A five-month-old baby died on Tuesday day in Minnesota after she was allegedly left alone inside a minvan for over four hours.

The incident occurred in Moorhead and was reported at around 8:20 pm when police officers and medics responded to reports that there was an unresponsive child in a vehicle.

When an EMS worker arrived, they learned that the infant, who was later identified as Christiana Nathany Sandstrom, had been moved to an apartment in the vicinity of the car, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Temperatures in Moorhead were at a scorching 80 degrees on Tuesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

Currently it isn’t known whether or not the windows in the van were open, but it appears as though the child’s death was accidental.

Christiana was the daughter of Andrew and Shayna Sandstrom, and it was there confusion that lead to the tragedy.

It began when the 24-year-old father of six took all of their children, who are under the age of seven, went to drop off his wife at work and took them along for the ride.

When he returned home he then helped each of his children out of the car, but it was not until around four hours later when police stated that he realised his 5-month-old baby was still locked in the vehicle outside.

Police were then called out to the Sandstroms’ house where they found Andrew holding his baby in his arms. An EMS worker then attempted CPR on the baby but was unable to revive her.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death, whilst the baby’s body is currently being held at the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Last year around 32 children died after being left in overheated cars, and this is the ninth such event of 2013.

[Image via Shutterstock]