Mother of toddler who was found dead inside hot car says she 'had a weird feeling' that day: 'We lost our son due to someone else's negligence'
LAWRENCE, KANSAS: The mother of a 2-year-old has spoken out after her son was found dead inside a hot car on Sunday, August 11.
Dévonté Lashawn Turner, the toddler, was found dead by authorities after he was left unattended in a parked car outside a home on Iowa Street shortly after 5:30 pm.
According to the National Weather Service, the outside temperature on the day rose as high as 88 degrees and the heat could have been a contributing factor in the child's death, Lawrence Police Chief Gregory Burns said at a press conference on Monday.
However, the official cause of death will be declared once a complete autopsy has been performed on the body.
Investigators said that Dévonté was left with his relatives on the day that he was found dead. The victim’s death has not been labeled as suspicious.
No arrests have been made in the case so far.
The toddler’s mother, Kristina Turner, told KMBC that she “had a weird feeling” before her son was found dead. “There is not going to be a moment that won’t go by that I won’t remember my son or that I won’t look over and think that he should be here,” she said.
She added: “They depend on you, and if nobody is making sure that they are OK, most of them can’t fight for themselves… They can’t get out of a car. They can’t unstrap themselves from a car seat. My biggest thing is I don’t want to see this happen to anybody else’s kids.”
Burns expressed his condolences on the child’s death. “As those involved heal from this loss, our thoughts are with everyone who was affected by this event. Anytime we lose a citizen of our city it’s tragic, but that tragedy is always compounded when it involves a child,” he said.
A GoFundMe page was set up by Kristina after her son’s death.
“Our son was left in the care of family and he was left in the car and he was found dead yesterday evening. We have no money to put towards his funeral expenses. We lost our 2 yr old son due to someone else's negligence. Anything will help and will be greatly appreciated to make sure we can give our son a proper burial. Thank u so much for your support,” a description on the page read.