Five-year-old boy dies after allegedly being left in hot car for seven hours
Dionicio Perez foster mother Juanita Pinon has been arrested after he died of severe heatstroke in a hot car
A five-year-old boy has died after allegedly being left in a hot car for seven hours.
Dionicio Perez was found in the car unresponsive on Wednesday and rushed to hospital.
Tragically, medics were unable to save Perez, and the five-year-old was declared dead.
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When he was taken from the car at around 5pm, Perez' body temperature was taken as being at 105F.
Perez' foster mother Juanita Pinon, 40, is now facing charges of child abuse by neglect, resulting in death, and if convicted could face up to 20 years in prison.
A police statement said that Pinon did not confirm to them if she had left Perez in the car on purpose or by accident.
Police spokesperson Chris Gordon told ABC News: "The suspect did not provide a statement to declare whether it was an accident or intentional."
Prosecutors stated that Pinon had parked her vehicle at around 10.30 in the morning before leaving it there and going to work.
Pinon is currently being held in police custody, and a court hearing set her bond at $2 million.
She is next expected in court on August 16.
Perez' family and friends came together after the toddler's tragic death to hold a vigil in his memory.
His family, including his biological father Pablo Lopez and his stepmother Jenny, said that they had tried to secure custody of Perez.
However, they said they were told that Perez would be in good hands with a foster family.
They said: "The social worker told me they were in good hands. They said they ran a concrete business, and the kids wouldn't suffer.
"Why until that moment did they look for me, until he was dead. They could've done when he was alive, and they didn't."
In the wake of the tragedy, Jenny has called for tighter background checks for people who are applying to be foster parents to ensure their suitability to take on children.
She said: "Please, I ask the system to look into the person. Investigate the person to the most thorough way possible before putting kids in the hands of people who don't want kids."
At present, Pablo is also working towards being granted custody of Perez' twin sister.
Perez' biological uncle Matthew Jesop was left devastated by the loss.
He said: "So many images come to my head, like, how many times have you done this before? How many times have you not met the needs of the kids that are in your care?"
According to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org at least 10 children have died in the US this year after being left in hot cars.
UNILAD has reached out to Omaha Police Department for comment.
Kit Roberts