Baby found dead in vehicle at Helotes parking lot

A view of the Walmart in Helotes.

A view of the Walmart in Helotes. Photo: Google Street View Photo: Google Street View Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Baby found dead in vehicle at Helotes parking lot 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

NOTE: This version of the story correctly identifies the baby's age.

A baby was found dead Friday afternoon in a vehicle after being left there for several hours in the parking lot of a Walmart in Helotes in a possible heat-related death, the Helotes Police Department confirmed Friday.

HPD Capt. Anthony Burgess said the 6-month-old boy was discovered when the father, a Wal-Mart employee who reported to work at 6:15 a.m., went to his vehicle in the employee parking area.

Temperatures in Helotes around the time of the discovery was in the low 100s.

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Witnesses flagged down two officers in a cul-de-sac down the street at about the same time 911 calls began coming in from others at about 3:12 p.m, Burgess said.

Officers saw the father was visibly upset as he was leaning over the infant, who firefighters confirmed was deceased.

The father told investigators he was supposed to have taken his son to day care before work.

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Burgess said the father was cooperative until he “locked up,” possibly from shock, and was taken to a nearby hospital because of chest pains.

jbeltran@express-news.net