A 35-year-old New Jersey father, Moshe Ehrlich, has been charged after allegedly leaving his four-month-old son inside a hot car for an "extended period of time." The baby was rushed to a local hospital but was, unfortunately, pronounced dead upon arrival.
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According to a press release issued by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, the incident took place in Lakewood on March 18. At around 1:45 p.m., police officers responded to a report of an infant being left "inside a motor vehicle in distress." Upon arrival, police officers met Hatzolah Medical Services personnel already rendering lifesaving aid to what they discovered was a four-month-old boy.
The infant boy was then rushed to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival. An investigation carried out by authorities, including Ocean County authorities and the Lakewood Township Police Department, determined that the baby had been left alone in the car for what they deemed "an extended period of time."
As per PEOPLE, the temperature in Lakewood at the time reached 62 degrees. However, car temperatures usually rise by over 10 to 20 degrees in minutes. In the case of children, especially only a four-month-old, can prove to be dangerous, even fatal.
Charged
Two days after the incident, on March 20, Moshe Ehrlich surrendered himself to Lakewood Township Police Headquarters. He was transported and booked into the Ocean County Jail. Ehrlich was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. As per the prosecutor's office, the case's investigation is ongoing. This means that Ehrlich could receive additional charges if deemed appropriate. The New York Post reports that Ehrlich was released from jail by a judge.
Unfortunately, cases like these are not uncommon whatsoever. Only in 2024, 39 pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths were reported, as per No Heat Stroke. In November 2024, a similar case involved a one-year-old boy in Florida who was left inside a 100-degree hot car.
The boy's father allegedly forgot he had his child inside his vehicle. Before he was supposed to drive him to daycare, the father allegedly first took a detour. He took his son to an appointment and then drove home. When he tried to pick him out from the daycare, workers told him he never dropped him in the first place. That's when the father made the startling discovery: his son was left alone in the car. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
