An Ohio mother made a devastating discovery on June 26, 2025. When she got to her car in a Mansfield parking lot just after 3 p.m., she reportedly found her 5-year-old son unresponsive. The unnamed child had been in the hot car since about 6:30 that morning, when the mother arrived at work. When first responders arrived, they found the woman holding her child. Sadly, they could not revive him. Staff pronounced him deceased at a hospital a short time later.
The case is under investigation by the Mansfield Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit, Richland County Prosecutor’s Office, and Richland County Children Services, according to a press release from the Mansfield Police Department obtained by Richland Source.
“Our hearts are heavy for the family of this young child. Any case involving a child carries a deep emotional impact, and this incident is no exception,” Mansfield Police Chief Jason Bammann shared in a statement.
“At this time, our detectives are continuing to collect all the facts of this case as we await the results of an autopsy. Once all facts are collected, it will then be presented to the Prosecutors’ Office for review and determination of whether any criminal mens rea existed. For that reason, we do not want to speculate on charges or possible charges at this time,” Bammann added in the statement.
Mens rea looks at a defendant’s criminal intent or mental state at the time of an alleged crime.
Olivia Kidd, one of the deceased child‘s teachers, called him “the funniest little kid,” and said the news broke her heart, WBNS reported.
“He told me he loved me every day,” she said. “I will miss seeing him at school next year, going to all of his events, seeing him at T-ball. I don’t know how I could forget him. I will remember him in everything, honestly.
“It hurts really bad,” Kidd said through tears.
Bammann encouraged all parents to thoroughly check their cars before walking away, especially to avoid hot car deaths.
“We would like to remind parents to check their backseats before getting out of their vehicles. On an 85°F day, a car’s interior can become dangerously hot, exceeding temperatures of 119′ 119°F in minutes,” he explained in the statement. “When left in a vehicle, these elevated temperatures can result in heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death.”
The incident remains under investigation.
