Vickie Welborn

Louisiana

ZWOLLE The cause of death for a 19-month-old Zwolle toddler is positional asphyxiation from being wedged between a car window and door frame, according to autopsy results released today.

Robert E. Lynch died Sunday after being removed from life support at University Health in Shreveport. The autopsy was performed this morning.

No arrest has been made in the case that's still under investigation by the Zwolle Police Department and Sabine Parish Coroner's office.

The decision on whether criminal charges will be filed will be left up to District Attorney Don Burkett. "We are reviewing everything and getting it all prepared for the DA to make that determination," Police Chief Marvin Frazier said. "It's just a tragedy at this point."

Burkett has yet to receive a report from Frazier's office but when he does he will review all of the evidence and "determine what action I will take."

Robert was initially hospitalized Saturday night after a 911 call was made to the Sabine Parish Sheriff's Office reporting him as unresponsive. Zwolle police arrived first and performed CPR until Med Express Ambulance got on the scene, Rivers said.

The child was transported to Sabine Medical Center then flown to University Health in Shreveport, where he was placed in the pediatric intensive care unit. The decision to end life support was made after no brain activity was detected, Sabine Parish Deputy Coroner Ron Rivers said.

Robert's mother, identified by Frazier as Deunka Lynch, told Zwolle police she had been at a family gathering earlier Saturday night and when she left she put her son unrestrained in the back seat of an Oldsmobile Bravado.

As she drove to another relative's house in Zwolle she reportedly told police she did notice what her son was doing in the back.

Once Lynch stopped the car, however, she found Robert's neck compressed by the rear window and his head protruding outside. She had to restart the vehicle in order to lower the window and free Robert.

The mother speculated that as she drove Robert stepped on the window button allowing it to lower then stepped on it again and became trapped as it raised, Rivers said.

As of this afternoon, Frazier still had not nailed down the exact timeframe when Lynch drove from one location to another so it was still unknown how long Robert was caught in the window.

Rivers said Lynch was unavailable for follow-up questioning today.