Miami 3-Month Old Dies After Grandmother Leaves Her in Hot Car

December 12, 2009 by Cathy Ribble
Filed under: News

While much of the United States faced winter weather warnings this week, a Florida family is grieving the death of 3-month-old Wilyariz Steffans after the baby’s grandmother left her alone in a hot car for about four hours.

According to the arrest warrant, the 3-month-old was unresponsive when the Miami police and fire authorities arrived at the scene Thursday afternoon. The report further showed that temperatures inside the vehicle reached over 100 degrees.

The grandmother left the child in the vehicle around 8:30 a.m. until about 12:40 p.m. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene.

The baby’s mother, Cindy Steffans, released a statement today saying her mother, Miriam Oliveras, “tried her best” to help care for the baby. The baby’s father was deported to Honduras earlier this year.

Steffans said in her statement that she does not blame her mother for “the tragic accident that led to Wilyariz’s death.” The baby’s mother is hopeful that the father will be able to return to Florida for the funeral.

Oliveras has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. There has been no report yet of an attorney retained by the family to represent Oliveras.