8-week-old girl dies in hot car in New Jersey, dad arrested

(NEW YORK) — A dad has been arrested after his 8-week-old daughter died when she was left in a hot car in New Jersey, authorities said.

At about 1:45 p.m. Monday, authorities in Lakewood Township responded to a report of a baby in cardiac arrest, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said. The 8-week-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

The baby was left alone in her dad’s car “for an extended period of time,” which was determined to be the cause and manner of her death, prosecutors said in a statement Tuesday.

The heat index — what temperature it feels like with humidity — soared to 107 degrees in Lakewood Township on Monday.

The baby’s father, 28-year-old Avraham Chaitovsky, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors said.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges are possible, prosecutors said.

At least 11 children have died in hot cars across the U.S. so far this year, according to national nonprofit KidsAndCars.org.

Since 1990, at least 1,095 children have died in hot cars — and about 88% of those kids were 3 years old or younger, according to KidsAndCars.org.

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