An Alabama man allegedly admitted to “drinking throughout the day” after his 1-year-old son, who was in his care, was found dead in a hot car, authorities said.
According to Tuscaloosa County online booking records, Logan Keith Chewning, 30, of Brookwood, was arrested on Wednesday. He was charged with manslaughter, records show.
The child, who was still strapped into his car seat when he was discovered by family member, is the fifth hot car fatality this year. According to the KidsandCars website, the other deaths occurred in Winter Haven, Florida; Monterey, Tennessee; Los Angeles; and Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The death in Virginia occurred about 30 minutes after the child was found dead in Alabama.
Authorities responded to a residence in Brookwood at about 5 p.m. CT, AL.com reported.
Investigators said the child had been in the sole care of Chewning. The suspect reportedly admitted to police that he had been drinking alcohol at different times during the day, and at one point left the home to buy more, according to WBMA.
Capt. Jack Kennedy of the sheriff’s office’s Violent Crimes Unit told WBRC that a preliminary investigation showed that the child had been in the vehicle for “an extended amount of time.”
“It should be noted that afternoon temperatures were in the mid-90s,” Kennedy said.
Chewning allegedly told investigators he believed that the boy had been sleeping in a crib. He later stated that the child was accidentally left inside the vehicle.
Chewning was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail, WBRC reported. His bond will be set at his initial court appearance, according to the television station.
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