A 3-year-old died and a 15-month-old is in critical condition after the children were found Monday inside a hot car parked outside their mother’s home in Booneville, state police said in a news release.
Their mother, 21-year-old Kaylee Petchenik, called police around 2 p.m. Monday and said her children were missing when she woke up from a nap.
The responding officer found the children unconscious lying on the back floorboard of the vehicle, according to the release. State police said the two girls were "apparent victims of heat."
The older child, Laykn Petchenik, was pronounced deceased at a local hospital. State police said the younger girl, Olivia Petchenik, is in “stable but critical condition” at a hospital in Little Rock, according to the release.
Special agents with Arkansas State Police are investigating the incident and will submit a case file to the Logan County prosecuting attorney for consideration.