A 36-year-old mother, Gbemisola Akayinode, has been charged with m¥rder following the death of her 9-year-old daughter, Oluwasikemi, who was left in a parked car for more than eight hours on a sweltering day in Texas.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Oluwasikemi’s d+ath was ruled a homicide caused by hyperthermia (heat stroke). The tragic incident occurred on July 1 in Galena Park, near Houston.
Court documents reveal that Akayinode arrived at her workplace, a manufacturing plant, around 5:45 a.m., leaving her daughter in the back seat with food, water, ice cubes, a rechargeable fan, and melatonin to help her sleep. She reportedly lowered the rear windows halfway before heading inside to work.
Akayinode told investigators she didn’t check on her daughter until 1:53 p.m., when she discovered Oluwasikemi unresponsive and blue. She screamed for help, but it was too late.
The mother allegedly said she often brought her daughter to work because she couldn’t afford day care. However, investigators found that her foreman had been covering her day care expenses, contradicting her claim.
Authorities waited for autopsy results before filing charges, which were confirmed last week. Akayinode is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
According to KidsAndCars.org, a U.S. nonprofit tracking vehicular heat d+aths at least 30 children have d+ed in hot cars this year alone, and over 1,160 since 1990.
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