Article published Aug 14, 2003
Baby dies in car
Aunt says she forgot 4-month-old girl
http://www.starbanner.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030814/NEWS/308140004/1025
CITRONELLE - A
4-month-old girl died after being left in a closed car in this northwest Citrus
County community for nearly four hours Wednesday, when the child's aunt
apparently forgot the baby was strapped in a car seat.
The baby, Laurel Jurban, was pronounced dead at Seven Rivers Hospital in
Crystal River, said Citrus County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gail Tierney.
According to Tierney, the child's aunt, Rebecca Jurban, 24, had driven the
baby's mother, Candice Johnson, 23, to Central Florida Community College's
Ocala campus, and dropped off Johnson.
When Jurban returned home to 7873 W. Badger Lane around 9 a.m., she left the
child in the closed 2000 Ford Focus two-door hatchback and went inside. Jurban
changed clothes, worked on a computer and took a nap, Tierney said.
"The child was in a car seat in the back seat behind the driver,"
Tierney said. "She alleges she simply forgot the child was in the
car."
Shortly before 1 p.m., Jurban's brother, Thomas Jurban Jr. — the baby's father
— awoke and asked Rebecca Jurban where the infant was.
At that point, both ran to the car and found the baby, then called 911. Thomas
Jurban performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until rescue workers arrived.
Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy hasn't decided whether Rebecca Jurban will
face criminal charges, Tierney said.
"Right now, he's looking at it as a suspicious incident. I know he had
plans to talk to the State Attorney's Office about it," she said.
Chief Assistant State Attorney Ric Ridgway said his office has been contacted,
but that it was too early to tell whether criminal charges would be filed.
An autopsy is scheduled today to determine the cause of death.
Data from the National Weather Service indicated the temperature at Ocala
International Airport rose from 81 degrees at 9 a.m. to a peak of 90 degrees by
1 p.m. Wednesday. Preliminary tests by Citrus sheriff's office investigators
showed the inside temperature of the Focus reached 130 to 150 degrees Wednesday
afternoon.
Those readings were taken around 3 p.m., Tierney noted.
"It could possibly have been even hotter in the car," she said.
Ocala police assisted Citrus deputies in searching for Johnson on the CFCC
campus. Once Johnson was located, deputies drove her from Ocala to Seven Rivers
Hospital. The baby was pronounced dead before she arrived, Tierney said.
CFCC records do not indicate Johnson was enrolled as a student, said Don Hunt,
the college's vice president of student affairs. However, if Johnson applied
for admission Wednesday, her name would not have shown up in computer records
yet, he added.
Rebecca Jurban was distraught, Tierney said.
"She was extraordinarily upset, as you might expect, over the whole
thing," she said.
Amy Fisher, a neighbor, said she was sitting in her house when she heard a car
pull in near her driveway. Fisher said she thought someone was having medical
problems when she saw the fire rescue truck in her neighbor's yard.
But a few hours later, when she saw the police cars and the yellow tape
surrounding the family's home, she knew something else was wrong, Fisher said
"My heart fell to my feet," said Fisher, whose 4-year-old son,
Anthony, occasionally played with the couple's 3-year-old son, Tommy. "I
can't understand how you could forget that child.
"I've heard about stuff like this on the news," she said. "Now,
it's right next door."
Charlie Ketchen, 41, who lives a few houses down from the family couldn't
believe it.
"It's a shame, man," Ketchen said. "I see them outside playing
with their kids all the time. This is the first time I've ever seen any
incidents down here."
David Rittenberg, 24, agreed. He said he's lived near the family for eight
years and he's never seen anything wrong.
"It's sickening," he added.
Staff writers Mabel Perez and Bill Thompson contributed to this story. Monica
Bryant can be reached at 867-4131. Rick Cundiff can be reached at 867-4130.
Bay News 9
Four-month-old
girl dies after being left in hot car
Wednesday,
August 13th
|
|
|
The incident happened in
Citronelle. |
A four-month-old baby
girl died on Wednesday after being left in a hot car in Citrus County.
Deputies say the
infant was left unattended in a 2000 red Ford Focus for more than four hours.
The child's aunt was babysitting at the time. She alleges that she forgot the
child in the car after returning from an errand.
The car was found at 7873 West Badger Lane in Citronelle. Deputies say the car
was parked in front of the residence under the blazing sun.
Detectives estimate the temperature inside the car may have reached as high as
150 degrees. Emergency crews tried to revive the baby on scene without success.
The infant died at Seven Rivers Community Hospital.
Sheriff's officials will be reviewing the case with the State Attorney's
Office. An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.
WESH.com
Baby
Dies After Being Forgotten In Hot Car
4-Month-Old Left In Hot Car For Several Hours
UPDATED: 12:11 p.m. EDT August 14, 2003
CRYSTAL
RIVER, Fla. -- A 4-month-old Citrus County girl died Wednesday afternoon after being
left in a closed car for four hours.
Investigators
said the infant was forgotten.
Deputies
said the baby, Laurel Jurban, was being cared for by her aunt Rebecca Jurban
while her mother was attending college. Rebecca Jurban said she simply forgot
the child was in the car after they returned from dropping off the mother.
"Apparently
she just forgot the child was still in the back seat of the car," said
Citrus County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Gail Tierney.
Investigators said the baby had been left in the car from about 9 a.m. until about 1 p.m. They said the car was in full sun, raising the car's interior temperature to 120 to 150 degrees.
An
autopsy was scheduled for Thursday. Meanwhile, deputies said they would work
with the State Attorney's Office and conduct several more interviews to
determine whether charges will be filed.
Copyright 2003
by WESH.COM. The Associated Press
contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.wesh.com/news/2405682/detail.html
Aug 14,
2003
Citrus
County Baby Girl Dies When Left Alone In Hot Car
DUNNELLON - An infant girl died Wednesday afternoon after her aunt left
her in a car for more than four hours, Citrus County sheriff's deputies said.
Shortly after 1 p.m., Laurel Jurban, who was
born in March, was rushed to Seven Rivers Community Hospital and pronounced
dead.
Earlier Wednesday, the girl's aunt, 24-year-old
Rebecca Jurban, drove the girl's mother to Ocala. When she returned to their
Dunnellon mobile home at 7873 W. Badger Lane, she went inside, forgetting the
girl was still in the back seat, deputies said. She told deputies she worked on
a computer and took a nap.
About 1 p.m, Laurel's father, 22-year-old Thomas
Jurban Jr., asked his sister where his daughter was. They found Laurel still
strapped in a child safety seat in the car.
Deputies said the inside temperature of the car
might have reached 150 degrees.
Thomas W. Krause
This story can be found at: http://tampatrib.com/floridametronews/MGADXVPACJD.html