A five-year-old boy died in a hot car outside his Arizona home on Sunday while his parents hosted a party, leading to their arrest on charges of negligent homicide and child abuse. Theo Sabo was discovered unresponsive in a vehicle as temperatures inside reached 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Theo's parents, Anca Sabo, 45, and Mihail Sabo, 50, were taken into custody by authorities. According to police, the family returned from a baptism around 1 p.m. and did not realize Theo was missing until 3:45 p.m., when they discovered him in the car while entertaining guests.
Family members administered CPR, and Theo was transported to a hospital by the fire department, where he was pronounced dead. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office has not yet released the official cause or manner of death.
Mihail Sabo told investigators that he had asked his 14-year-old son to retrieve Theo from the car upon their return from church. The teenager reportedly stated he did not recall being given this instruction. Police described the incident as a potential miscommunication within the family regarding who was responsible for the child.
During a court hearing on Monday, the parents' attorney, Leah Dodd, characterized the event as a tragedy and argued against the appropriateness of the charges. Dodd suggested that Anca Sabo assumed her husband would get the child, and that Mihail Sabo's request to his teenage son was not an unreasonable action under the circumstances. The attorney also noted that Anca Sabo immediately called 911 and cooperated with detectives.
Both parents were each issued a $150,000 bond and ordered to have no contact with each other. The judge, however, permitted supervised visits with their other children. The parents have a status conference scheduled for September 21 and a preliminary hearing on September 23.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support funeral and memorial expenses for Theo, raising over $223,000 as of Tuesday. The fundraiser's description states the family has been deeply involved in their community and asks for support during their grieving process.
