The father of a toddler who was discovered inside a vehicle on one of Louisiana’s hottest days of the year is facing charges in connection with her death in the hot car.
Joseph Boatman, 32, was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on June 8 after his 21-month-old daughter died while left in his car overnight, according to a news release from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
It occurred outside a home in Madisonville, a town of fewer than 800 people located about 40 miles north of New Orleans.
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature in Madisonville peaked at 92 degrees while the child was left in the car, with a heat index of up to 104 degrees.
Boatman is charged with second-degree murder and may face additional charges, according to the STPSO, who are still investigating the incident.
An initial investigation revealed that Boatman arrived at a family member’s home around 2:30 a.m. on June 8 to pick up his daughter.
According to detectives, Boatman had been drinking before picking up his daughter and “consumed multiple alcoholic beverages” that night.
According to the STPSO, Boatman then placed his daughter in her car seat and returned inside the house, though the release provided no explanation for this behavior.
A family member then noticed the child in the car around noon and called the authorities.
The toddler was unresponsive when deputies arrived and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the STPSO.
“This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face,” Sheriff Randy Smith said.
He went on to say, “When a child is left in a vehicle, especially on a day when the heat index exceeds 100 degrees, the consequences can be fatal in minutes. This case involved a compromised judgment, and the outcome was heartbreaking.
Boatman is still in custody, and his bail has been set at $750,000.
