A Connecticut father is facing criminal charges following the death of his 1-year-old son, who was left unattended in a vehicle parked in direct sunlight last month.
Kevin Pell contacted the East Windsor Police Department in August to report that he had left his infant son in a car while the child was sleeping, according to authorities. The father had gone to work on his family's strawberry farm while the boy remained in the vehicle.
When Pell returned to the car, he discovered the child was not breathing and had turned blue, police said. He immediately began performing CPR on the infant.
A search warrant reviewed by PEOPLE revealed conflicting statements from Pell regarding the vehicle's air conditioning. He initially told a dispatcher that he had not turned on the air conditioning in the car, but later changed his account when officers arrived at the scene, claiming the system had been running.
The warrant described the vehicle as not suitable for the child, noting that it had been parked in direct sunlight with both the windows and sunroof closed.
First responders took over life-saving efforts when they arrived and transported the boy to Connecticut Children's Medical Hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead.
Pell has been charged with risk of injury to a child. Authorities indicated that additional charges may be filed as the investigation progresses.
The defendant appeared in court Thursday, September 10, 2026, but did not enter a plea. He is scheduled to return to court next month.
The tragedy underscores the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, particularly during warm weather when interior temperatures can rise rapidly to life-threatening levels even with windows partially open.