Hospital worker left her son to die in scorching hot car that reached 117F for NINE hours while she worked, police say

Published: 15:50, 2 August 2026 | Updated: 15:50, 2 August 2026 A hospital worker left her one-year-old son strapped inside a baking-hot car for nearly nine hours, with the vehicle’s interior later reaching a staggering 117F before the toddler was discovered dead. Deja Coleman, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children after her son Daniel was discovered unresponsive inside a parked vehicle outside Northside Gwinnett Hospital in Lawrenceville, Georgia, 30 miles east of Atlanta on July 29. Police say Coleman had driven to work that morning at 6.55am after dropping off her two older children at daycare but had failed to realize that her youngest son was still in the car, strapped into his rear-facing car seat. Investigators believe the boy remained trapped inside the vehicle for more than eight hours as Coleman worked inside the hospital. Shortly before 4pm, a hospital employee spotted the child's lifeless body slumped over in the car seat and alerted emergency services.  First responders rushed to the scene and smashed the car window to reach the child, before attempting lifesaving measures, but despite best efforts the toddler was unable to be revived. Officers later measured the temperature inside the car at 117 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly an hour after the child had already been removed and the window had been shattered. Officers ran a tag on the vehicle and reportedly learned that it belonged to Coleman, who worked at the hospital. They found her, 'informed her of the situation, and brought her back to the police department for a formal interview' as per Law&Crime. Deja Coleman, 29, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children after her one-year-old son Daniel was found dead inside a parked vehicle outside Northside Gwinnett Hospital in Lawrenceville, Georgia, 30 miles east of Atlanta on July 29 The mother of three had dropped her two older children off at daycare - what she later described to police as her 'normal routine'- before driving to start her work shift at the hospital. However she forgot one crucial detail, her 1-year-old son Following an investigation, Lawrenceville Police arrested Coleman and booked her into the Gwinnett County Detention Center. Authorities have not accused Coleman of intentionally causing her son’s death, but investigators said the evidence at the scene was sufficient to support the felony charges. Police Captain Dena Pauly said at a press conference Thursday, the trip was part of Coleman's 'normal routine' after which she would 'come back and retrieve the baby out of the car seat' 'She forgot,' Pauly said of the reasoning Coleman gave for the tragedy. 'She was devastated. She was devastated.' Coleman's other kids were in the custody of their father on Thursday, police added. Pauly said one of the other kids 'has some medical needs that require special attention' and that is why Coleman 'always chose to take him' into the daycare first. Hot-car deaths remain one of the most heartbreaking and preventable causes of child fatalities in the US, with one child dying every ten days from heatstroke in a vehicle. Experts say temperatures inside a parked vehicle can climb to dangerous levels within minutes, with infants and toddlers particularly vulnerable because their bodies heat up much faster than adults. Many of the cases involve parents or caregivers who unknowingly leave a child behind after a break in their normal routine, believing they have already made a daycare drop-off before continuing on to work. The outside temperature reached a high of 86 degrees on July 30, according to Weather Underground.  There have been 17 pediatric hot car deaths in the U.S. this year so far, according to the National Safety Council. A reported 34 children died in hot cars in 2025, including two deaths in Georgia. 'Slow down. Slow down in life,' Pauly advised during Thursday’s press conference. 'If you need help, seek help. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself so that you can take care of your children.' The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not ruled out the possibility of additional charges as detectives continue reviewing the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death.  Coleman remains in custody while the case moves through the Georgia court system. The Daily Mail has reached out to Coleman and Lawrenceville Police for comment.