Baby Found Dead in Car Despite Cool Weather

According to a statement from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey, a 35-year-old man from Lakewood town, Moshe Ehrlich, has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child for leaving his 4-month-old son in a car, leading to the child’s death.

The incident occurred on March 18th. Moshe Ehrlich, a 35-year-old father of six children and a student at a Jewish theological seminary, had the routine of dropping off his four children at the babysitter’s before heading to his classes. However, on that day, he forgot to bring formula for his youngest son. After dropping off the three older children at the babysitter’s, he planned to go back home to get the formula and then take the youngest child to the babysitter’s. He retrieved the formula but forgot that his youngest son was still in the car, and without realizing, he drove straight to the seminary for his classes.

The babysitter noticed that the infant had not been brought over and texted the child’s mother, who only saw the message after more than an hour. The babysitter and mother tried to reach Moshe Ehrlich through calls and texts but were unable to contact him.

In the end, the babysitter’s teenage son decided to go directly to the seminary to find someone and outside the institution, he found the van driven by Ehrlich.

Although the outdoor temperature that day was only around 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius), due to direct sunlight, the temperature inside the car rose to 96 degrees Fahrenheit (about 35.5 degrees Celsius). By the time emergency personnel arrived at the scene, the infant was unresponsive and was rushed to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, where he was pronounced dead.

Moshe Ehrlich voluntarily surrendered to the authorities on March 20th and was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He was released a few hours later.

This tragic incident once again highlights the seriousness of leaving infants and young children in cars. Even in mild weather, the temperature inside closed vehicles can quickly rise, leading to suffocation, heatstroke, and even death.