A Texas father has been charged with capital murder after police said his 2-year-old daughter died while locked inside a parked car as he slept inside his home following a night of drinking.
The Midland Police Department announced Monday, July 27, that 25-year-old Lorenzo Rodriguez had been arrested in connection with the toddler’s death Sunday night.
According to police, Rodriguez’s brother and sister-in-law went to his home Sunday evening to check on him and his daughter because he had allegedly been drinking the night before.
After repeatedly knocking on the front door and receiving no response, the relatives went to the side of the house, removed a window air-conditioning unit and climbed inside to check on them.
They found Rodriguez asleep and woke him at approximately 8 p.m., police said. Investigators believe he had been sleeping since around 11 a.m.
When the relatives realized the little girl was not inside the home with her father, they rushed outside and found her trapped inside Rodriguez’s locked vehicle.
The car was not running at the time, according to police.
“The family members broke a window to gain access to the vehicle and removed the 2-year-old child,” the department said.
The toddler was rushed to Midland Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Rodriguez was taken into custody and later charged with capital murder in connection with his daughter’s death.
Jail records showed he remained behind bars Tuesday morning on a $1.5 million bond.
Looks like an illegal