Overview
- DeLand officers and multiple witnesses say the child was discovered unresponsive in a parked vehicle after roughly two hours, and bystanders began CPR before first responders transported the girl to a nearby hospital.
- Authorities say the mother, 27-year-old Latana Williams, told investigators she left the car running with air conditioning on and monitored the child by FaceTime, a claim police say does not match evidence that the car was off and the windows were up.
- Williams was arrested on a first-degree felony child-neglect charge; booking was delayed after she was taken to a hospital with an allergic reaction to stainless-steel handcuffs.
- Police and medical reports say the child was treated for heat-related illness, improved after hospital care, and is now reported to be recovering with a positive outlook.
- The DeLand Police Department has asked the public for tips, notified the Department of Children and Families, and officials urged drivers to never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles because of rapid heat risk.