A Louisiana father has been charged with murdering his 21-month-old daughter, who reportedly died in a hot car on Sunday.

WBRZ reported that a family member discovered the girl after she was left in a parked car in Madisonville for nine hours. St. Tammany Parish police determined that the girl’s father, Joseph Boatman, 35, arrived to pick her up from a relative’s home, but he instead strapped her into a car seat, entered a nearby residence, and did not return.

Boatman was charged with second-degree murder, as police believe he had several alcoholic drinks before picking up his daughter.  According to the Louisiana Radio Network, Lt. Suzanne Carboni said it is unclear why Boatman strapped his daughter into the vehicle and then left.

“The child was buckled in the car seat as best as they could tell around 2:30 in the morning on Sunday,” she said. “Then a family member located her there around noon.”

Boatman’s daughter is reportedly the fifth hot-car death this year. According to No Heat Stroke, 39 children died in hot cars in 2024.

[Feature Photo:  St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office]