Antioch baby girl dies after being left in car
by Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
(04-19) 11:30 PDT ANTIOCH -- A 7-month-old girl was found dead in Antioch after being left in her family's car overnight, police said today.
Sofia Wisher of Antioch was pronounced dead after she was found in her car seat outside the In Shape Sports Club on Lone Tree Way shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday, authorities said.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of the girl's death, the Contra Costa County coroner's office said.
Sofia had been in the seat since 11:30 p.m. Saturday, said Antioch police Sgt. Diane Aguinaga. Her parents both work two jobs, and "both thought the other parent had the baby," Aguinaga said.
It was unclear which parent had last driven the station wagon and left the girl in the seat, police said. When the infant's father woke up Sunday morning, he went to the gym, "thinking all was fine" and not realizing that Sofia was in the car, Aguinaga said.
When the baby's mother got up, she realized that Sofia wasn't in her crib, police said. She called the gym, where her husband was working out. Gym staff alerted him.
He ran outside and found Sofia dead in the car, Aguinaga said. The windows were up, said police Lt. Leonard Orman.
The parents' names were not released. Authorities said the investigation was in its preliminary stages and that it was too soon to say whether either could face prosecution. The parents were distraught when they were interviewed by police, authorities said.
Child Protective Services was notified and placed the couple's 2-year-old daughter into protective custody, authorities said.
The high temperature Sunday afternoon was 78 degrees, and the low Sunday morning was 52 degrees, police said.
Child-safety experts say parents of such young children often are sleep-deprived. Nationally, an average of 36 children a year die when they are trapped in overheated cars. Some get into the cars on their own and some are intentionally left by parents, but the majority are forgotten by a parent or caregiver who fails to glance in the backseat.
Advocates say such reminders as keeping a stuffed animal in the car seat and placing it in the front seat when a child is in back can be a memory aid for a frazzled parent.
Prosecutors in similar tragedies have come to varying conclusions as to whether parents should face criminal charges.
In May 2007, Haley Sheri Wesley of Angwin in Napa County forgot that her 10-month-old daughter, Maddison, was in her car, and left her there when she went to work. The girl died, and Wesley was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor child endangerment.
In July 2007, Danny Takemoto of Benicia forgot to drop off his 11-month-old son, Ian, at a day-care center and left him in the car for most of the day. Takemoto was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment after the boy died, but Contra Costa prosecutors never filed charges.
Prosecutors in such situations consider such factors as the background of the parent and whether major distractions were involved.
