A five-year-old girl died after being left in a hot car for approximately four hours amid a severe heatwave in Garland, Texas. Faustina Jean-Paul was discovered in the vehicle around 8:20 p.m. on Tuesday, according to police.
An adult family member had picked Faustina and her older brother up from school around 3:30 p.m. and arrived home between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The girl remained inside the locked car with the windows closed for about four hours while the family searched the property for her, police told the Daily Mail. Temperatures in the area were reportedly over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the time.
Family members initiated CPR until paramedics arrived. Faustina was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her official cause of death is pending the Medical Examiner's findings. The investigation is ongoing, and no charges have been filed.
Garland Independent School District confirmed Faustina was a new student who had just started the school year on August 10. The district stated that crisis counseling is available for students and staff affected by the tragedy. The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral and memorial expenses.
Police emphasized the severity of the heat, noting that a car's interior can reach temperatures of nearly 120 degrees Fahrenheit within 10 minutes and climb to 140 degrees Fahrenheit within an hour when the outside temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit.