PHOTO: OMAHA POLICE DEPARTMENT
A tragic incident unfolded in Omaha, Nebraska, when a 5-year-old boy died after being left inside a car in a parking lot. The Omaha Police Department reported responding to a call about an “unresponsive child” at 3025 N 93rd Street, a location with several businesses, around 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 10.
Upon arrival, authorities discovered the child inside a vehicle parked outside a beauty salon. The child was immediately transported to a hospital by medics but was pronounced dead upon arrival. The police stated, “At this time, it appears that the child was left unattended inside of a vehicle for an extended period of time.”
In an update, the Omaha Police Department announced the arrest of the boy’s foster mother, 40-year-old Juanita Pinon. Pinon faces charges of “child abuse by neglect, resulting in death” and has been placed in Douglas County Corrections. Police spokesperson Chris Gordon informed ABC News, “The suspect did not provide a statement to declare whether it was an accident or intentional.”
The boy was identified as Dionicio Perez in a police report obtained by ABC affiliate KETV. According to the report, Dionicio had allegedly been left inside the car for seven hours. Meteorological data indicated that temperatures reached around 88 degrees Fahrenheit outside the vehicle at 5 p.m., and experts noted that the car’s interior could have hit 100 degrees within ten minutes.
Witnesses at the beauty salon told KETV that Pinon was not a customer but was working in a business office attached to the back of the establishment. This revelation added another layer to the ongoing investigation. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to KETV that Dionicio was in foster care and stated they are fully cooperating with the police investigation.
The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that ten children have died of heatstroke this year, with 29 fatalities recorded last year. On average, the NSC found that “37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke” after being left in vehicles. Their research indicates that in more than half of these cases, the child was forgotten by a parent or caregiver.
The Omaha Police Department has stated that the investigation into Dionicio Perez’s death is still ongoing, as they continue to gather more details surrounding the circumstances of this heart-wrenching incident. The community remains in shock and mourning as authorities work to ensure justice and prevent such tragedies in the future.
