A Phoenix toddler who tried in vain to get out of a hot car died in the back seat after his drunken father left him there and went inside the house to sleep it off, authorities said Tuesday.
James Koryor, 41, was arrested and charged with manslaughter and child abuse, police said.
“It was an absolutely horrific death,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Trent Crump told reporters at a Tuesday press conference, KTVK-TV reported.
There were no car seats inside the vehicle, and the boy tried desperately to get out, Crump said. It was not clear whether the doors were locked.
The dad was supposed to take his 2-year-old boy, along with his 5-year-old son, to get haircuts. Instead, he drove to a liquor store, bought a bottle of gin and drank it before driving home, police said.
Koryor went inside and fell asleep. The 5-year-old somehow managed to get out of the car, but the toddler was left behind with the windows up as high temperatures soared past 90.
The interior of the car was damaged from the toddler’s attempts to get out, Crump said.
Source: New York Daily News | DEBORAH HASTINGS
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