A California toddler passed away Monday after being left inside a hot vehicle in El Centro.

According to the El Centro Police Department, officers arrived at around 5:30 p.m. Monday, near the 700 block of Woodward Avenue. Police arrived to find the victim unresponsive inside an unattended vehicle.

The Calexico Chronicle reports that first responders rushed the child to El Centro Regional Medical Center, where the victim was pronounced dead.

Police arrested the child’s father, identified as Jose Hernandez, 37, of El Centro.

The Sacramento Bee reports that Hernandez had left the child in front of his home “for a long time,” while temperatures reached 106 that day.

“This is the 4th Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke (PVH) so far this year in California and the 22nd in the United States. On this date last year, there had been 28 PVH tragedies,”Jan Null, CCM, Adjunct Professor of Meteorology at San Jose State University told CrimeOnline in an emailed statement.

Anyone with any additional information about the case is urged to contact Detective R. Gabat at 760-352-2111.

The story is developing. Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo: Pixabay]