California Boy, 1, Dies of Heat Stroke in Car

An autopsy conducted today determined that a 1-year-old boy who was left unattended in a vehicle Friday died of heat stroke and ruled his death a homicide, officials said.

Ivan Villa of the 4800 block of West 85th Street in Burbank, was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m. Friday at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

The autopsy determined that the boy's death was caused by heat stroke and a secondary cause was child neglect and ruled his death a homicide, according to the office.

The boy was in the vehicle for about 2-1/2 hours until he was found at 5:50 p.m., according to Burbank Police Division Chief Michael Dudlo.

The boy was found by the parents who brought him into the home, called 911 and administered CPR. The child was in the family's SUV in the driveway, police said.

Both parents were home at the time, parents have four other children. Police are consulting with Cook County State's Attorney's office to determine whether charges will be filed.

No one is in custody, Dudlo said.

Parents of the boy are being investigated for neglect after the child was left in an unattended vehicle, said Dave Clarkin, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The agency has not had any prior contact with the family, Clarkin said.

The temperature reached a high of 96 degrees Friday in the Chicago area, according to the National Weather Service.

Clarkin said the incident in Burbank is the second report this week of the death of a child after being left unattended in a vehicle. The other occurred in southern Illinois, he said.

Candace Cosby, 25, said she started her shift at 3 p.m. Friday as a caregiver for residents of a group home across the street from the family's home.

Not long after, Cosby said she was sitting on the living room couch when she looked through the picture window and saw the female neighbor pull into the driveway and enter the two-story brick home.

She said she did not remember seeing anyone with the woman, who Cosby said could be in her 30s. And she doesn't remember seeing the woman exit the home once she entered.

"There wasn't much activity yesterday because it was so hot," she said.

Between 5 and 5:30 p.m., she said she saw emergency crews arrive and paramedics enter the home. About two minutes later, she said she saw a paramedic carry out the little boy.

"His little limbs were flailing," Cosby said. "He didn't look conscious."

Cosby said she thought that something happened while the boy was in the bathtub because he wasn't wearing any clothes when paramedics removed him from the home and placed him in a waiting ambulance, which sped off under police escort.

Investigators remained at the home, she said. At one point, Cosby said she saw three or four children escorted by authorities from the home to a black van, which then left the area.

She said she later saw police taking photographs of the woman's SUV, which Cosby said still had its brakelights on. The vehicle was later towed, she added.

People started to congregate outside the home as the day went on, Cosby said, including a group of emotional people -- possibly family members -- who remained after Cosby left work at 11 p.m.

She said she did not know the family, but would occasionally see four or five children -- all younger in age -- outside playing.

As of 6:15 p.m. Saturday, the Burbank Police Department said no charges would be filed against the child's parents after an investigation concluded the child was not intentionally left inside of the vehicle.

mmanchir@tribune.com

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