HELOTES, Texas, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- A 6-month-old baby died after being left in his father's hot car for nearly nine hours near San Antonio, police said.
The father of the boy told police he forgot to drop his son off at daycare before he went to his job Friday at a Walmart in Helotes, Texas.
The child was left in the car in the back seat of the father's SUV from the time he arrived at work at 6:15 a.m. until the father returned to the car at 3:09 p.m., Helotes police Capt. Anthony Burgess said.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office identified the baby as Dillon Martinez.
EMTs were not able to resuscitate the boy. The father was hospitalized and was cooperating with police. He is not currently facing charges, Burgess said.
Martinez's death is the 27th hot car-related child's death this year, according to a child safety advocacy group. Last year, a total of 25 children died after being left in hot cars.
