A Texas father has been charged with capital murder after his two-year-old daughter died locked in a vehicle on a 35°C day while he allegedly slept following a night of heavy drinking.
Details of the Incident
The tragedy unfolded on Sunday in Midland, Texas. Police say 25-year-old Lorenzo Rodriguez had been drinking the previous evening and fell asleep at his home, leaving his toddler locked in a car outside. The vehicle was not running.
Concerned family members arrived to check on Rodriguez due to his alcohol consumption. Unable to get a response at the door, they removed a window air-conditioning unit and climbed inside around 8 pm, where they found him asleep. After being woken, Rodriguez said he had been unconscious since 8 pm the previous night.
Family members could not locate the child inside the home and ran to the car, where they discovered the toddler. They broke a window to free her, and she was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead.
Charges and Similar Case
Rodriguez has been charged with capital murder in connection with his daughter's death.
The case echoes another incident earlier this month in Florida. Scott Allen Gardner, 34, pleaded no contest to second-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect after his 18-month-old son, Sebastian, died left in a hot car while Gardner got a haircut and went drinking. A judge sentenced him to 42 years in state prison.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, Sebastian was strapped in his car seat for over three hours on a hot day in June 2025. Medical personnel estimated his body temperature reached 111 degrees.
