By Phil Helsel - NBC News
A Florida nanny has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after the 10-month-old baby in her care died after being left in a car that reached high temperatures Wednesday, the Baker County Sheriff's Office said.
Rhonda Jewell, 48, picked up the baby from his mother's home at 8 a.m. to care for him, and when the mother returned at 1 p.m., they realized the baby had been left inside the vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
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Temperatures in the area were 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius) shortly before 1 p.m.
An incident report from the sheriff says the temperature inside the car registered at 133 degrees Fahrenheit (56 degrees Celsius) when the boy was found, NBC affiliate WTLV of Jacksonville reported.
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On an 80-degree Fahrenheit (26-degree Celsius) day, the temperature in a car can rise to 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) in 60 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
There were no extreme heat advisories or warnings Thursday night in the Baker County area, west of Jacksonville. The incident came as millions of people across the south and southwest remained under a life-threatening heatwave.
More than 119 million people in the U.S., including in parts of Florida, were under heat warnings or excessive heat warnings Thursday night, according to the National Weather Service.
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About 53% of them die when someone forgets there is a child in the car, the agency warns. Parents should get used to always checking the back seat before locking doors, and everyone should always keep the car locked when not driving, he says.
Jewell was arrested on charges of aggravated homicide of a child, according to the sheriff's office.
The other children she cared for were well taken care of, according to the sheriff's office incident report.
Jewell told investigators that after arriving home he went inside to interact with the other children and forgot the boy was inside the vehicle, the report says.
An attorney listed in online court records as representing Jewell did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.