Mom arrested after baby left in hot SUV dies

Jasmine Mendieta Van Herpen and Nathan Mendieta found their way into their mother's car and died from hyperthermia on August 20, 2008. (Courtesy of Kids and Cars) Jasmine Mendieta Van Herpen and Nathan Mendieta found their way into their mother's car and died from hyperthermia on August 20, 2008. (Courtesy of Kids and Cars) Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Mom arrested after baby left in hot SUV dies 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Corpus Christi police have arrested the mother of a baby who died Wednesday afternoon after being left in the back seat of an SUV.

Concepcion Rodriguez, 26, is charged with injury to a child after officers say she left the 15-month-old boy in the car for nearly three hours, according to KRISTV.com.

The mom forgot the child in the car, police said on their website.

The child's death in a hot car marks at least the fourth in Texas this year, including cases in Sugar Land, Brazoria and Dallas. Across the country, at least 25 deaths have been recorded, according to Golden Gat Weather Services.

"It happens countless times every single day, in every single city," Amber Rollins, a spokeswoman with Kids and Cars told chron.com in a July interview. "I think one of the most important points in that it can happen to anybody … It's heartbreaking. The death of a child is one of the most horrid things you can think of, and it's worse when the parent is responsible."

Rodriguez realized she had left the baby in the vehicle after her husband got home and asked about the child, police said.

Read more: Child safety advocates warn parents after hot car deaths

Experts recommend parents create habits, such as leaving a purse, cell phone or another important item, in the backseat with the child to help them remember.

The inside of a car heats up quickly. If the temperature is 100 degrees outside, a car can heat up to 140 degrees in 15 minutes, according to data from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Incidents increase during the summertime, but Rollins said the inside of a car can be dangerous in lower temperatures also. Babies have a harder time regulating their body temperature and can heat up three times faster than an adult, she said.