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Health & Fitness

UPDATE: Ridgefield Police Identify Baby Who Died in Hot Car

Posted by Paula Antolini

July 9, 2014: Ridgefield Police have released the name of the baby who died in the hot car in Ridgefield, CT, last Monday. The 15-month-old victim's name is Benjamin Seitz, according to the Ridgefield Press.

Ridgefield Police Capt. Jeff Kreitz said Benjamin Seitz was supposed to be dropped off at a daycare center in Ridgefield by his father, but it was determined that the father never dropped off his son and the child was left in the car on Monday for an "extended period of time" in the parking lot at the father's place of employment at 38A Grove St. in Ridgefield, Ct.

The father usually drove his son to daycare then would pick up coffee and head to work, but on Monday he went straight to the coffee shop, and then to work, apparently forgetting about the baby, according to News Times sources, ctnews.com reports. 

Seitz also went out for lunch that day without remembering the child was in the car.  When Seitz left work at the end of the day to go pick up his son at daycare, he realized the boy was still in the car, ctnews.com reports.

The father then drove his son to Danbury Hospital.  Reportedly there was no 911 call made, even though a fire station is close by.

The Danbury Hospital staff notified police about the boy's death approximately 6:00 p.m. on Monday.

The cause of death is still listed as pending at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).

The Connecticut Medical Examiner’s Office in Farmington said it could take four to six weeks to determine the toddler’s exact cause of death, according to foxct.com.

Benjamin Seitz was born on March 28, 2013.

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