18-month-old Northern California toddler dies in hot car

An 18-month-old boy died after being left in a hot car for about ten hours in Northern California.

According to the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the boy’s mother, 23-year-old Alexandrea Raven Scott said she accidentally left her child inside a car for several hours while she was at a home in the 2600 block of Mitomkai Way in Willits.

Investigators said Scott had arrived to the home on Mitomkai Way around 3 a.m. June 20.

“Once there, Scott, who resides in Humboldt County, socialized with people while leaving her child in the back seat of her car which was parked in front of the residence with the windows rolled up. It is believed the child was left unattended in the back seat of the vehicle with the windows rolled up for about 10 hours,” Capt. Gregory Van Patten.

Scott was arrested and booked into the Mendocino County Jail for willfully causing or permitting a child to suffer great bodily injury or death.

Officials say California has had 56 child hot car deaths since 1990, ranking it as third-most of all states.