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Parents Of Baby Left In Hot Car Face Judge

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LAUDERHILL (CBSMiami) – A family is mourning the loss of their 11-month-old after the baby was left inside a hot SUV Wednesday.

The SUV was parked at a Lauderhill apartment complex on the 3100 block of NW 19 Street Wednesday.

According to Lieutenant Gregory Solowsky with Lauderhill Police, it does not appear the family will be charged. Once their investigation is over, however, it will be handed over to the State Attorney's Office to determine if charges will be filed.

In court Thursday, the parents of the child appeared by a Family Court Judge. The mother and father identified themselves as Kenneth and Elaine Weaver.

Jeff Levy, the attorney for Elaine Weaver said the mother had a prior case with the Department of Children and Families in the mid-90's and that's why the state placed the couple's four other children with family members following the death of the baby.

Levy said she hopes child welfare workers will one day reunite her with her other children.

"She's always cooperated with the Department of Children and Families and Childnet and I'm expecting that hopefully they'll offer her another case plan," Levy said.

Outside court, Kenneth Weaver, the father of the child, did not want to speak to reporters.

"If it was you, how would you feel?" he said.

Attorney Levy said the couple can have supervised visits with the four other children. Levy said the couple will return to court on August 3rd to find out whether child welfare workers will agree to a case plan for possible reunification for the family or whether the state plans to try and terminate their parental rights.

According to investigators, the baby died Wednesday after at least an hour in the car.

"A family consisting of two adults and five children, ranging from the ages of 11 months all the way to 14 years of age, were in the process of returning home from the local grocery store and were unloading groceries into the house behind me," Lt. Solowsky said.

Investigators say it was after the family unloaded the groceries they realized the baby was still in the car.

"When we arrived here at the family members, the mother and the father were still in the act of administering CPR themselves. You could clearly see they were very distraught over the fact that the child was unresponsive at that point," Lt. Solowsky said.

The child was rushed to Plantation General—but it was too late.

Residents at the apartment complex are heartbroken, in disbelief over the baby's tragic death.

"I think more about what the child suffered in that car, what it was going through," said Sherry Harris, a resident.

While investigators are working to piece together a timeline of the tragic event, many are left wondering how this could have happened.

"I feel sorry for the baby and the mom. I don't know how you can forget your baby. You're supposed to take the baby out first before the groceries," said Mercedes Tomas, a resident.

According to KidsandCars.org, a public safety awareness website for child safety around automobiles, yesterday's incident is the ninth child to die as a result of being left in a hot car in the United States—and the third in Florida for 2015.

Florida ranks the second highest state, after Texas, with the most vehicular heatstroke deaths with a total of 75 fatalities since 1992 until today, according to kidsandcars.org.

The website reminds parents, caregivers and the general public to look before your lock, and also that child deaths in hot cars is preventable. For more facts and prevention tips, click here.

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