UPDATE: Dad Arrested; Child Dies After 16 Hours in Hot Car

UPDATED at noon

Wilbert Carter has been charged with murder and child abuse by Baltimore Police in the death of his 2-year-old daughter, who was left in a hot car for about 16 hours.

The police department called the girl’s death a homicide on its Twitter feed.

FOX Baltimore reports that charging documents say the child, Leasia Carter, suffered second-degree burns after spending about 16 hours in the car.

Carter told police he had consumed five drinks during the day, was driven home by a friend Sunday and had no memory of what happened from the time the car was parked until he woke up around 4 p.m. Monday. When he asked his mother and aunt where Leasia was, they reportedly told Carter he’d come home alone around 7 a.m.

Carter then went to the car and found the toddler fastened in her car seat, and unresponsive.

Police were called around 5:30 p.m. to the 3400 block of Juneway in Northeast Baltimore, where the little girl was found inside a car. The child died at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, WBAL-TV reports.

Authorities said Carter left the toddler in the car Sunday, and returned to the car parked on a street about 5 p.m. Monday to find his daughter inside the vehicle, not breathing.

“Right now, we know that the child was inside of that vehicle sometime (Sunday), but for certain we know that the child was left there all day (Monday),” Baltimore police Maj. Stanley Brandford told WBAL. “Of course with the temperatures and everything we’re sure that the child cannot survive in that type of condition.”

SEE ALSO: 30 Hot Days, 30 Lost Children: Season For Hot-Car Deaths Arrives

In 2014, the national tally for child heatstroke deaths from being left in cars was 30, down from a total of 44 in 2013, according to the Kids and Cars website, which works to prevent accidental child deaths.

Safety advocates stress that a child’s body can overheat three to five times faster than an adult.

Patch has compiled these hot car safety tips for parents from KidsandCars.org and Parents.com. Review the list and keep a printout in your vehicle as a reminder and checklist.

Hot-Weather Car Safety Tips

• Never leave children alone in or around cars; not even for a minute.
• Put your purse, briefcase, cell phone or lunch in the backseat so you are sure to look before you lock the door.
• Make it a habit to always open the back door of your vehicle every time you park to make sure no child has been left behind.
• Keep a large stuffed animal in the child’s car seat when it’s empty; move the toy to the front seat when a child is riding in the car seat as a visual reminder that a child is on board.
• Place your child’s car seat in the middle of the backseat rather than behind the driver. It’s easier to see the child.
• Arrange with your day-care center or babysitter that you will always call if your child will not be there as scheduled.
• Lock your vehicles at all times -- even in the garage or driveway – so youngsters can’t climb in without your knowledge.
• Keep keys and remote openers out of the reach of children.
• Check vehicles and car trunks first when a child is missing.
• Take action if you see a child alone in a vehicle. Call 911 immediately.
• Discuss the issue of hot-car safety with everyone who drives your child, including partners, grandparents, and babysitters.
• Use drive-through services when available at restaurants, banks, pharmacies, dry cleaners, etc. to remain in the vehicle with your child.
• Use your debit or credit card to pay for gas at the pump.

»Screenshot of hot car death scene from WBAL TV; Wilbert Carter, courtesy of Baltimore Police