Twin babies found dead in car after father ‘forgot they were there’
A pair of twin babies were found dead in the back of a car after their father allegedly forgot they were there.
Police believe Juan Rodriguez parked his car near the hospital where he works at 8am on Friday, leaving one-year-olds Phoenix and Mariza Rodriguez in the back of the vehicle.
The 39-year-old reportedly returned to the car eight hours later and drove off, before realising the children were in the back seat and frantically calling for help at about 4pm.
A passer-by heard the father screaming at the side of the road and called emergency services, The New York Post quoted police as saying.
The children were pronounced dead at the scene in New York on Friday afternoon.
Law enforcement sources told The New York Post that the babies were found “not breathing” with “their mouths covered in foam”.
Temperatures reached 30C (86F) in New York on Friday, but even an outdoor temperature of just 16C (61F) can be fatal inside a closed car, where the temperature can climb rapidly.
Juan Rodriguez was charged with two counts of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, New York City police said on Saturday.
A cause of death has not yet been determined.
It is unclear whether Mr Rodriguez has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
