A 17-month-old girl has died after authorities say she was accidentally left inside a vehicle for more than an hour while her 74-year-old grandmother went inside her home to take a nap.
According to the Winter Haven Police Department, Karen Denise Benyard, 74, picked up her granddaughter and another family member from Lake Wales on March 31. The family member had been caring for the toddler while the child’s mother was working in Winter Haven.
Police said the toddler was secured in the back seat of the vehicle and fell asleep during the drive to Winter Haven.
After dropping the family member off at work, Benyard drove to her home on Avenue North Southwest. Authorities said she parked the vehicle at approximately 2:07 p.m. and went inside to take a nap, unknowingly leaving the toddler inside the car.
Benyard reportedly woke up at 3:46 p.m. and returned to the vehicle because she was supposed to pick up the child’s mother from work. That’s when she discovered the toddler unresponsive in the back seat.
Winter Haven police and fire personnel responded and immediately began life-saving measures. The child was transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead at approximately 4:33 p.m.
Police said Benyard was hospitalized following the incident because she was overwhelmed with grief and was discharged several days later.
As investigators worked to determine exactly what happened, authorities conducted toxicology testing on Benyard. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement report, received May 22, showed negative results for alcohol and narcotics.
Detectives also reviewed Benyard’s cellphone records and Ring camera footage from locations along her route to verify the timeline she provided.
The medical examiner’s autopsy, completed July 21, found no natural diseases or physical injuries. The toddler’s cause of death was determined to be hyperthermia caused by environmental exposure.
After the investigation, Benyard was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail. She faces one count of aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Winter Haven Police Chief Vance Monroe Jr. described the incident as an “absolutely heartbreaking case,” saying the department shares the family’s grief over the devastating loss.
The tragedy serves as another heartbreaking reminder of how quickly temperatures inside a parked vehicle can become dangerous for young children, even when they are left unintentionally.
