A Connecticut father left his baby son to die in a hot car while he worked on the family’s strawberry farm, according to police.
Kevin Pell, 47, called 911 on Aug. 15 and told dispatch that he returned to the car in Broad Brook to find his 1-year-old son “blue and not breathing,” according to the East Windsor Police Department.
“My son might be dead, 1-year-old,” he told the dispatcher, according to WTNH.
“Oh my god he’s dead,” the father said. “I think he’s dead.”
“The heat, I didn’t have the AC on,” he said at one point.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene and began performing CPR. The baby was taken to Connecticut Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon afterwards.
Pell’s son had been left in the car in direct sunlight with all of its windows closed, which was “not habitable for the child,” according to an arrest warrant obtained by People Magazine.
Although the dad told dispatchers he had not left the air conditioning on, he changed his story when police arrived, telling them he left his son asleep with the AC on for about an hour.
Pell was taken into custody and charged with risk of injury to a child. He was later released after posting $1 million bail.
Pell could face additional charges pending the child’s autopsy results, police said.
He appeared in court on Thursday but did not enter a plea, according to People. He is scheduled to appear next on Oct. 16.
