A New Jersey father has been arrested in the death of an 8-week-old baby who was left in a car on Monday as temperatures reached the mid-90s Fahrenheit.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced Tuesday that Abraham Chaitofsky, 28, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly leaving his daughter in a car for an “extended period of time,” ultimately leading to her death.
Police were called to the scene around 1:45 p.m. after reports of a pediatric patient in cardiac arrest near New Egypt Road in Lakewood Township.
Parents who lost daughter warn of ‘preventable tragedy’ after child dies from heatstroke in car
Abraham Chaitovsky was arrested following the child’s death. (Ocean County Department of Corrections)
Responding officers found Hatzolah Medical Services, a volunteer ambulance service serving the Jewish community, attempting to administer life-saving treatment to Chaitofsky’s daughter.
However, the infant was pronounced dead at the scene, Billhimer said.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit determined the baby had been left unattended in Chaitofski’s vehicle for an extended period of time.
Investigators say leaving the baby in the vehicle for an extended period of time was both the cause and manner of the baby’s death.
Chaitofsky was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail where he was later released.
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In an unrelated photo, a child seat is installed in a minivan. A New Jersey father has been charged in the death of his 8-week-old daughter, who died of heat stroke after being left in a car for an extended period of time. (iStock)
It is unclear how long the baby was left in the car or why.
The investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors have said Chaitovsky could face additional charges.
The tragic incident comes as New Jersey and much of the US is experiencing scorching heat.
An extreme heat warning has been in effect for Lakewood since Sunday.
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New Egypt Road in Lakewood Township where the fatal crash occurred. (Google Earth)
About 160 million Americans, or about 50% of the population, were under heat warnings this week, including Lakewood.
Dozens of American children die each year after being left in hot cars, most of which occur because a parent forgot they’d left their child in the car in the first place. Other causes include poor communication between parents or guardians or forgetting to drop off a child at daycare, Janet Fennell, founder of Kids & Car Safety, told Fox News Digital last month.
The organization has recorded at least 1,083 fatal accidents caused by heat in cars between 1990 and 2023, with 29 fatalities last year and 36 so far in 2022. Most fatal accidents occur in the summer.
