An adorable two-year-old boy was found dead in a hot car outside his home in Georgia, but police say they don’t believe he was left in the vehicle by accident.
Jacob Eliel Vieras, 2, died after being left inside a vehicle “for an extended period of time” Tuesday night, according to a Cobb County sheriff’s spokesman.
Shortly before 7 p.m., police responded to the address and said the boy was rushed to hospital but did not survive.
On Wednesday, local police announced it was too early in the investigation to say whether anyone would face criminal charges in connection with Vieras’ death.
They also said there was no evidence to suggest the child was left inside the vehicle.
Jacob Eliel Vieras, 2, died after being left inside a vehicle “for an extended period of time” Tuesday night
Shortly before 7 p.m., police had responded to the address and said the boy was rushed to the hospital but did not survive.
No further details or theories have been offered as to how Jacob may have ended up in the car where he was found dead.
Writing in a GoFundMe Page A friend of the tragedy, who was preparing the boy’s funeral, described Jacob’s death as an “accident” but gave no further details.
The fundraiser said: ‘My brother Noel just lost his 2 year old son in an accident and the family had no insurance to bury him.
‘I’m asking and praying that people here can help raise money for the family. It’s a very difficult time for them.
‘He was an amazing, outgoing kid who loved his dad very much.’
With a goal set at $7,000, the fundraiser has already raised over $6,000.
According to an obituary for the boy, Vieras is survived by his parents, Jose Noel Viera and Jessica Mejia, as well as his brother Jaylin.
A funeral service was held in his honor on Saturday in Smyrna, Georgia, at the Rock of Salvation Pentecostal Church.
The family had requested that donations in Jacob’s memory be made to the church, in lieu of flowers.
Cobb County Sheriff Stuart VanHoozer said: ‘My only role is to extend our condolences to the family, friends, neighbors and all those who were affected by this tragedy.
It’s still unclear how exactly Jacob ended up in the car, as a family friend said on a GoFundMe page that it was an accident.
Local police said there was no evidence to suggest the teen was left inside the vehicle. Cobb County Sheriff Stuart VanHoozer is pictured
We need some time to sort this out before we really know what happened.
Chief VanHoozer added that his department will “resolve the facts of this case” and “do the right thing.”
He also asked people to “be very, very careful in this heat – this is an example of some of the things that can go wrong.”
Neighbor Amy Barnes said Atlanta News FirstThe boy was “blue” when he was brought home.
Barnes told the outlet: “The next thing I knew, people were screaming and they called 911. It was a tragedy.”
According to the National Child and Car Safety Database, there have been seven deaths nationwide so far involving hot cars.
According to the National Child and Car Safety Database, there have been seven deaths nationwide so far involving hot car fatalities.
Two of the children who died were unknowingly abandoned, three were left inside, one managed to gain access, and Jacob’s death is currently marked as unknown.
On Wednesday, a four-year-old Texas girl died after being abandoned inside a hot truck and forgotten by her caregivers.
Houston authorities said the girl had been with two women and a group of children running errands in a Chevy pickup truck all day.
The adults later parked their car at the apartment complex and took everyone inside, but left the boy behind.
Investigators believe the girl was abandoned in the truck for about an hour until one of the women realized the girl was missing, went out to look for her and called 911.
She was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.