Baby in NJ dies after being left in 100-degree parked car

LAKEWOOD — An infant died Monday afternoon after being left inside a vehicle on one of the hottest days of the year, according to a report.

The vehicle was found parked outside a Jewish school around 2 p.m., according to a report by The Lakewood Scoop. The child had been left inside for over two hours, according to the report.

Law enforcement sources tell Townsquare Media that the infant's father, Avraham Chaitovsky, is being held at the Ocean County Jail on a charge of second-degree child endangerment.

Lakewood police referred questions about the incident to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

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Heat index of 107 degrees

An excessive heat warning was in effect for most of New Jersey on Monday. Temperatures at the nearest weather station in Howell were 98 degrees at 2 p.m. with a heat index of 107 under sunny skies, according to Meteorologist Dan Zarrow.

Zarrow said that on a day like Monday, with the heat index near 100, being left inside a car longer than 10 minutes can be fatal. The temperature inside a vehicle can rise significantly even with cooler temperatures outside with the majority of the temperature rise occurring within the first 15 to 30 minutes.

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Another tragedy in Lakewood

It is the second tragedy involving a young child in Lakewood in the past month.

Naomi Elkins, 27, was charged with two counts of murder after police found two 1- and 3-year-old girls drowned in separate tubs on June 25 in the basement apartment she and her husband rented.

An Ocean County Superior Court judge granted a request to delay her detention hearing pending a psychiatrist's evaluation scheduled for July 18, according to coverage by the Asbury Park Press. Elkins is being held at the Ocean County Jail.