Homestead Man Charged After Toddler Dies in Hot Car

Keyner Vazquez de Leon was arrested Saturday after a 1-year-old girl was found unresponsive in his vehicle at his Homestead home. Emergency responders tried to save her, but she died at the location, officials confirmed. He was tasked with driving the girl to a babysitter six days each week and had been doing so for about a year. He was not related to her.

Vazquez de Leon picked her up early Saturday morning, intending to take her to the babysitter. After dropping another person at work, he returned home with the child still in the vehicle, turned it off and went inside. Around 9 a.m., he began washing vehicles outside, while the girl remained in the car.

In the afternoon, the girl’s mother called to ask where her daughter was. Vazquez de Leon understood then that the child remained inside the vehicle. He found her unresponsive in her car seat, carried the seat into his home and called 911. He stayed there until emergency crews reached the location and was later taken into custody.

He faces charges including causing a child under 18’s death through aggravated manslaughter, leaving a child alone in a motor vehicle and causing serious bodily injury, and child neglect that resulted in serious bodily injury. A judge denied bond on Monday. As of the initial coverage, Vazquez de Leon was detained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.