(CBS DETROIT) – A 3-year-old Michigan child died after being left in the car in the parking lot of a grocery store Tuesday evening, police said.
The Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office was called to the Family Fare grocery store in Vicksburg at about 3 p.m. to investigate a “suspicious death.”
CBS affiliate WWMT reported that the child was found dead in the backseat of a maroon Chevrolet Tahoe, which is believed to be owned by the child’s father.
A preliminary investigation reveals that the cause of the 3-year-old’s death was prolonged heat exhaustion, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.
“Cases where there is a young person that’s deceased, obviously, gain everyone’s attention,” Kalamazoo County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Williams told WWMT. “That’s very serious under the law, and I think most people, regardless of their overall views of law enforcement can agree that that’s something that law enforcements and prosecutors should be looking at.”