9-year-old girl dies after being left in hot car for 8 hours in Texas

A 9-year-old girl died in Galena Park, Texas, on Tuesday after her mother allegedly left her alone in a parked car for eight hours while she went to work. The 36-year-old mother, employed at a local manufacturing plant, returned to her Toyota Camry around 2:00 p.m. and found her daughter unresponsive in the backseat.

Authorities reported that the woman had left the child with water and partially rolled down the windows before beginning her shift. At the time, temperatures in Galena Park had climbed to 97°F (36°C). The girl was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

The mother was initially detained but released the following day as authorities await autopsy results. Investigators are continuing to probe the circumstances of the child’s death, which officials described as preventable but unusual.

Texas law prohibits leaving children unattended in vehicles, and this incident marks the third hot car death in the state in just four days. Nationwide, at least 13 children have died in hot cars this year.

The motive behind the mother's decision remains unclear. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of financial hardship but stressed that no circumstances justify endangering a child's life in extreme heat.