In a heartbreaking incident, a Texas mother is now facing serious charges after her toddler son tragically died when he was left in a hot car. Hilda Ann Adame, 33, was arrested and charged with injury to a child, serious bodily injury, abandonment and child endangerment, according to a Corpus Christi Police Department news release Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The charges stem from the death of Adame’s 22-month-old daughter, Harley Adame, who was abandoned in a vehicle while Adame went to work, apparently forgetting she was supposed to take the child to daycare. KIII Television, Citing a probable cause statement from the Corpus Christi Police Department, Adame works for Communities in Schools, a nonprofit that supports at-risk students.
“Harley was sleeping in the vehicle when Hilda arrived at Tom Browne Middle School at 8:00 a.m. where she works, and forgot that Harley was in the vehicle and proceeded to enter the school,” an arrest affidavit reads, as reported by KRIS-TV.
The tragedy unfolded when the boy was left in the vehicle from around 8 a.m. until about 1:29 p.m., when officers were dispatched to the school’s location on Schanen Blvd, according to the police news release. It was only then that Adame realized what had happened and rushed to the school with Harley, desperately seeking help.
Upon arrival, the Corpus Christi Police Department and Corpus Christi Fire Department found the school nurse performing CPR on the child. Despite their efforts, Harley was transported to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 1:53 p.m., the report said. KIII Television.
The devastating incident has sent shockwaves through the community. Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) and school officials acknowledged the tragedy in a statement. “Corpus Christi Independent School District and school officials are aware that a young child was found in a hot car at Tom Browne Middle School on Tuesday. We want to express our gratitude to those who responded quickly upon learning of this crisis, including school staff, as well as district police and local law enforcement,” said CCISD Director of Communications Leanne Libby.
The tragedy occurred on a day when the city of Corpus Christi was under an excessive heat warning. The National Weather Service had predicted dangerously high heat index values, reaching as high as 118°F on Tuesday, and similar conditions were expected the following day. As the community mourns this tragic loss, the case serves as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of leaving children unsupervised in vehicles, especially during extreme heat.