A 25-year-old Midland man has been charged with capital murder after police said he left his 2-year-old toddler in a hot car for hours while he slept inside after a night of drinking.
Midland police officers responded shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday to a report of an unresponsive 2-year-old child locked inside a vehicle, the police department said in a social media post.
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Lorenzo Rodriguez’ family members told police they went to his home Sunday to check on him and his daughter after he had “consumed alcoholic beverages the previous night,” police said. After no one answered their repeated knocks, the family removed a window air-conditioning unit to enter Rodriguez’ house, police said
Inside, they found Rodriguez asleep around 8 p.m. He told police he had been asleep since about 11 a.m., police said. His daughter was not inside the home.
The family then checked Rodriguez’ black Kia, which was not running, police said. They broke a window and removed the child from the car. She was transported to Midland Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The girl’s death adds to a national toll that rises each summer. Kids and Car Safety has recorded at least 15 child hot-car deaths in 2026, according to the advocacy group’s database, which includes cases dating to 1990.
An average of 37 children die each year after being left or becoming trapped in a hot vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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This article originally published at Texas father charged with capital murder after 2-year-old dies in hot car.
