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One-year-old girl dies in hot car after father 'refused to let police break window to set her free'

Child died in Las Vegas on Monday

Matt Mathers
Thursday 08 October 2020 10:27 EDT
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Girl died on Monday
Girl died on Monday (Getty Images)

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A one-year-old girl has died after getting locked inside a hot car in Las Vegas.

The child's father, Sidney Deal, has been arrested on child abuse charges after reportedly refusing to let police break the window of his car to set the girl free.

Mr Deal was reluctant to let officers burst through the glass because he couldn't afford a replacement, The Las Vegan Sun reported.

He first flagged down officers on Monday afternoon when his daughter, Sayah, got stuck in the vehicle with the keys inside.

A police report said officers arrived on the scene and offered to break the window, call a tow truck or a lock smith.

But Mr Deal declined, citing expensive quotes from his insurance company, who he had called earlier.

Several minutes later, the officers eventually smashed the widow and pulled Sayah from the car, but she was unconscious and died at the scene, police said.

Investigators interviewed Mr Deal’s brother, who said he received a call from his sibling saying he accidentally locked his daughter in the car.

Mr Deal had told his brother he left the air conditioning running in the vehicle, according to news station KVVU.

A cause of death has yet to be determined, but investigators believe Sayah may have been inside the car for up to an hour, The Las Vegas Sun reported.

Mr Deal has been booked into Clark County Detention Center on one count of child abuse or neglect causing substantial bodily harm, the outlet added.

He is being held on $20,000 bond.

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