An Ohio man has confessed to murdering his one-year-old son by leaving the child in a hot car for hours, police say.
According to law enforcement records, Landon Parrott, 19, of New Philadelphia, said he left his 1-year-old in a hot car for five hours on Thursday. Highs neared the mid-80’s on Thursday, but New Philadelphia Police Department Captain Ty Norris told FOX8 that the department estimated temperatures inside the car likely reached 130 degrees (54C).
After Mr Parrott found his son unresponsive in his car, he reportedly drove him to the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital in New Philadelphia.
Police claim that Mr Parrott initially tried to pass off the child’s condition as an accident, but began to suspect something was amiss due to inconsistencies in his statements.
Michael Goodwin, the city’s police chief, issued a statement explaining that “during the initial investigation the detectives found inconsistent information being given by the father.”
Mr Parrott reportedly “confessed to detectives what happened to his son” after he was confronted with eence that his story was false.
Police obtained a that showed Mr Parrott leaving his apartment with his child at 8:30am. He was not seen again until 1:50pm. Mr Parrott allegedly left his child in the car during that time so that he could enjoy his time at home undisturbed.
“During the interview it appears that this was not a matter of forgetting the child but was a deliberate act so as the child would not be a disturbance while in the house,” police said in a statement.
Mr Parrott allegedly told investigators that he knew leaving his baby in the car could be dangerous, but said he did not want to be disturbed.
He now faces a murder charge as well as two counts of child endangering and a count of involuntary manslaughter.
Vanessa Parrot, the child’s mother, was not home when the incident took place.
“Heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking to see this unfold before your eyes,” Mr Norris told FOX8. “This is about this poor child and this poor mother who was just trying to work and pay bills and finding justice for both of them.”
Ms Parrott has not publicly commented but did leave a message to her child on her Facebook page.
“Mommy loves you so much,” she wrote. “Fly high my sweet baby boy. #justiceforkyler.”
