TOYAMA (TR) – The young daughter of a 25-year-old woman died of heatstroke after she was left inside a vehicle in Toyama City in Friday, police said, reports the Asahi Shimbun (Aug. 3).
Police arrested the mother, Suzu Nobatake, a bar employee, on suspicion of neglect by a guardian resulting in death.
“Since I was drunk, I carelessly forgot,” the suspect was quoted by police in admitting to the allegations.
According to police, Nobatake left her eldest daughter, Kokomi, 11 months old, inside the vehicle, which was parked near her residence, between around 5:20 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. The engine of the vehicle was off and the windows were rolled up.
The results of an autopsy did not reveal the cause of death. However, police suspect Kokomi died as a result of heatstroke.
The incident took place after Nobatake finished work. After going out drinking, she returned home with someone else driving her vehicle. Kokomi and her eldest son, 2, were also in the vehicle. When she went inside, the suspect left Kokomi in a child seat in the back.
At around 9:30 a.m. on Friday in Toyama City, the temperature reached 31.8 degrees Celsius, according to the local meteorological authority.
