A community in San Antonio, Texas, is reeling from a devastating tragedy after two young siblings were discovered dead inside a scorching vehicle on Friday afternoon. The children, identified as one-year-old Zariah Flores and two-year-old Zachariah Flores, succumbed to the extreme temperatures during a day where the mercury soared past 100°F (38°C).
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar confirmed the harrowing details during a press conference, stating that emergency services were called to a home on the 7200 block of Old Pearsall Road just after 4:30 PM. The children were found unresponsive inside the car by their mother, 19-year-old Amanda Flores.
A Mother's Account and Mounting Evidence
According to Sheriff Salazar, Ms. Flores told investigators she had last seen the children alive around 9:00 AM before she fell asleep inside the house. She claimed to have awoken hours later, realised they were missing, and subsequently found them in the vehicle parked directly in front of the home.
However, authorities have expressed significant doubts about this timeline. "We have reason to believe the children may have been in the vehicle for a much longer, much more sustained period of time than what was originally related to us," Sheriff Salazar stated. Preliminary investigations suggest the car doors were functional, indicating the children were likely unable to free themselves.
Charges Filed and a Community in Mourning
Amanda Flores was subsequently arrested and has been charged with two counts of injury to a child by omission, with Sheriff Salazar confirming that capital murder charges are anticipated as the investigation progresses. She is currently held in custody at the Bexar County Jail.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, highlighting the perennial and deadly danger of leaving children in vehicles during hot weather. "It's a tragic set of circumstances," Sheriff Salazar remarked, "This is every parent's worst nightmare, but it's also one of those 100 percent preventable tragedies."
An autopsy has been ordered to determine the official cause of death for the two toddlers, as the Bexar County Sheriff's Office continues its meticulous investigation into this heartbreaking event.
