An autopsy will be conducted on Thursday following the death of a three-year-old boy who was discovered inside a hot vehicle in Burlington.

Halton regional police Insp. Anthony Odoardi says officers got a call at about 5:30 p.m. from a “hysterical” man, indicating that a child was in a vehicle and was not breathing.

Odoardi says the three-year-old boy was outside the Ford Escape SUV when emergency crews arrived and paramedics pronounced him dead.

Odoardi says he did not want to speculate whether the heat was a factor in the boy’s death or how long he was inside the car.

Temperatures in Burlington reached a high of 26.4 C on Wednesday.

Police said the next of kin have been notified but would not say if the child is connected to anyone who works at the building.

An individual identified as the owner of the building confirmed he knows the family personally but would not say if there is any connection to the station.

“We offer condolences to the family and will continue to work and walk with them as they work through this tremendous loss,” said Sean Saulnier.

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report