Georgia mother charged after 1-year-old son dies in hot car outside hospital where she worked

Authorities say the toddler was left inside the vehicle for nearly nine hours before he was discovered.

A Georgia woman is facing felony charges after authorities say her 1-year-old son died after being left inside a parked vehicle for nearly an entire workday outside the hospital where she was employed.

According to the Lawrenceville Police Department, officers responded Wednesday afternoon to Northside Gwinnett Hospital after receiving reports of an unresponsive child inside a locked vehicle in the employee parking lot. Despite emergency lifesaving efforts, the toddler was pronounced dead at the scene.

As first detailed by PEOPLE, the child’s mother, 29-year-old Deja Coleman, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children following the investigation.

Police said Coleman arrived at work shortly before 7 a.m. and told investigators she had dropped off her two older children at daycare but mistakenly left her youngest child in the vehicle. Authorities estimate the boy remained inside the parked car for nearly nine hours before he was discovered.

During a news conference, Lawrenceville Police Captain Dena Pauly said investigators measured the vehicle’s interior temperature at 117 degrees approximately one hour after the child had been removed, underscoring how rapidly dangerous conditions can develop inside enclosed vehicles even when outdoor temperatures are significantly lower.

Coleman reportedly appeared devastated upon learning of her son’s death. She was later booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center as the investigation continued.

The tragedy comes amid another deadly year for pediatric hot-car deaths across the United States. According to the National Safety Council, at least 17 children have died in hot vehicles nationwide so far this year, with Georgia accounting for multiple cases.

Speaking to reporters, Captain Pauly urged parents and caregivers to slow down during busy routines and seek help if they are overwhelmed or exhausted, emphasizing that moments of distraction can have irreversible consequences.