Garland police said they believe the child was in the vehicle outside her home Aug. 18 from about 4 to 4:30 p.m. until shortly before a 911 call was made around 8:20 p.m.
Garland police spokeseperson Matt Pesta said the girl was buckled into her car seat on the way home but was found outside the car seat when her family later discovered her.
Pesta said police are working with the Dallas County district attorney’s office on the next steps in the case and are waiting on the Dallas County medical examiner’s final ruling before deciding whether criminal charges will be filed. The final ruling could take several weeks, he said.
“This is just a tragic situation,” Pesta said. “We encourage people to get in the habit of taking just a few seconds to search their car for anyone or anything of value before they leave the vehicle unattended. It could save heartache and tragedy tenfold.”
Police previously said an adult family member returned home after picking up the girl and her sibling from school before the 5-year-old was left inside the vehicle. The temperature in Garland that day reached 108 degrees.
After realizing the girl was missing, family members searched for her and found her unresponsive inside the vehicle, police said. Family members were performing CPR when Garland police and firefighters arrived.
The girl was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Police have not publicly identified the girl or the adult family member who investigators believe left her in the vehicle. They also haven’t explained what circumstances led to the girl being left inside the vehicle.