A 5-year-old Arizona boy died after being left inside a sweltering vehicle for more than two and a half hours while his family hosted a large party at their home, authorities said.
Theo Sabo was left in the family’s car around 1 p.m. Sunday after returning home from a church baptism, according to FOX 10.
At the time, Theo’s family was hosting a gathering with about 50 friends and relatives at their home in Peoria.
More than two and a half hours later, family members realized the boy was missing.
They eventually found Theo unresponsive inside the vehicle.
Temperatures in Peoria reached about 106 degrees that day.
CPR was performed before Theo was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His parents, Mihail Sabo, 50, and Anca Sabo, 45, were later charged with negligent homicide and child abuse.
The couple have four other children, ages 18, 15, 14 and 9.
According to FOX 10, Mihail told police that he had asked his 14-year-old son to get Theo out of the car after the family arrived home.
The teenager, however, reportedly told investigators that his father never asked him to do that.
The parents appeared separately in Maricopa County Superior Court on Monday.
Anca was visibly distraught during her hearing and sobbed as her attorney, Leah Dodd, argued that the case was a tragic accident.
“This was a, I can’t overstress this, a tragedy,” Dodd told the court.
The attorney repeated the claim that Mihail had asked the couple’s 14-year-old son to get Theo from the vehicle.
“Mom is hosting a party at their home, assumes dad is gonna get [Theo]. Dad asks the 14-year-old,” Dodd said.
She argued that asking a 14-year-old to help a younger sibling was not an unusual decision.
Theo had been sleeping in the vehicle, and Dodd said there was a lot happening at the family’s home at the time.
“This does not deviate from what a normal person would do in this situation,” she argued.
Maricopa County Attorney Brooke Gaunt pushed back, telling the court that Theo remained inside the car for more than two and a half hours while his parents did not know where he was.
The defense argued that negligent homicide and child abuse charges were not appropriate and repeatedly described Theo’s death as an “unimaginable tragedy.”
Dodd also pointed to Anca’s actions after Theo was discovered.
“She called 911, she administered life-saving efforts, she answered all questions of detectives,” the attorney said. “This is not someone who is running away.”
“Everything that she and her husband did upon finding the child in the vehicle was standard care,” Dodd added.
At one point during the emotional hearing, Anca cried out to the judge, “I want to see my kids. Please let me see my kids.”
Mihail appeared in court immediately after his wife.
He kept his head lowered for much of the proceeding and showed little visible emotion.
The couple have been designated co-defendants and were each given a $150,000 bond.
They are not allowed to have contact with each other but are permitted supervised visits with their four surviving children.
Dodd told the court that Mihail and Anca have been married for nearly 20 years and have lived in Arizona since 2011.
An online fundraiser for the family remembered Theo as a deeply loved child.
“Theo was deeply loved, and his precious life will never be forgotten,” the fundraiser stated.
“Thank you for loving, praying for, and supporting the Sabo family as they walk through this unimaginable loss.”
Mihail and Anca are scheduled to return to court on Sept. 21.
The Peoria Police Department and the couple’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to comment because the cases are ongoing.
