Posted on Mon, Sep. 13, 2004

Lakeland tot found dead in locked car, apparently from the heat

Associated Press

LAKELAND, Fla. - Detectives searched for answers Monday on how a 20-month-old boy ended up locked in his parents' car, apparently causing his death from the heat.

Cory Martin was found dead in the front seat of the Toyota Camry on Sunday with car's windows up and the doors locked, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said. His mother was inside the family's duplex when the boy was found and his father was not at home at the time.

The toddler's body was discovered by a family friend who walked by the car Sunday afternoon and noticed him on the front passenger's seat, detectives said. Emergency workers were not able to revive Cory and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff's office said it is not clear how long the boy was inside the car or how he got into it. The Polk County Medical Examiner is performing an autopsy to determine the cause of death.