Leslie Novoa, director of the toddler's preschool, said it was "sad" to see a "wonderful family" go through “so much pain"
Credit: NBC 6 South Florida/Youtube
NEED TO KNOW
- An 18-month-old boy was found dead in the backseat of a car outside a Florida preschool
- The child’s father allegedly realized that he never dropped his son off when he went to pick him up
- Police are investigating the incident, which occurred on a day when temperatures reportedly reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit
A toddler was found dead in the back of a car after his father allegedly forgot to drop him off at school in the morning, according to reports.
The Plantation Police Department said they were called to reports of a deceased child in a vehicle on Monday, June 29, at 5:39 p.m. local time, according to a statement on X.
They found the child, who was reportedly 18 months old and a boy, per WAFB, at A World of Discovery Academy, a preschool at 7025 NW 4th Street.
“Upon arrival, the Plantation Fire Department sadly confirmed the child was deceased. Plantation Police detectives responded to the scene, and an investigation into the death is underway,” the statement said.
Credit: Google Maps
The owner and director of the academy, Leslie Novoa, identified the young boy as a student, according to ABC Miami affiliate WSVN-TV.
“Unfortunately, the dad arrived to pick up his child, and when he arrived to the parking lot, he realized he forgot the child,” she told the outlet. “He never dropped off the child at the school.”
Once she discovered the toddler in the back of the car alongside his father, they called 911.
The preschool's assistant director gave the same information to NBC 6 South Florida.
“This is hard for the parents, hard for us,” Novoa told WSVN-TV. “This is sad to see this family, a wonderful family, to go through so much pain.”
Novoa said she had known the family for six years and that this was their third child at the school.
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The Plantation Police Department has not identified the child and has not revealed whether any charges have been filed. They are investigating the death.
The temperature in Plantation, a suburb about 6 miles from Fort Lauderdale, reached a high of 92 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, according to AccuWeather.
“On hot, sunny days, vehicles can trap heat like a greenhouse, allowing temperatures inside to climb above 120 degrees in minutes,” AccuWeather noted.
KidsandCars.org, an organization dedicated to helping prevent hot car-related deaths, reported that 1,181 children have died in hot cars in the U.S. since 1990, according to Kids and Car Safety, as of June 30, 2026.
The Plantation Police Department was contacted by PEOPLE for confirmation and further information, but did not immediately respond.
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