The death of a 3-year-old boy in Mexicali, Baja California, over the weekend, after being left inside a car, was not an isolated incident. In Mexico, there are precedents of similar cases in which children died from heatstroke after being left inside vehicles.
According to the Mexicali Forensic Medical Service (Semefo), the child died after being left in his car seat inside a vehicle, in a context where temperatures can exceed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) inside a closed car.
One of the previous cases occurred in August 2020, also in Mexicali. As reported by Infobae on August 25 of that year, a 3-year-old boy died after being left inside a car during the hottest hours of the day. Forensic authorities concluded that he showed characteristic signs of heatstroke and ruled out any signs of violence.
Another case was recorded in June 2023. On the 28th of that month, a 5-year-old child died after being left inside a vehicle for approximately two hours when the outside temperature reached 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit).
Initially, a possible case of negligence was noted; however, investigations indicated that the child had entered the car himself.
A similar case was documented in Sonora. On May 21, 2014, a baby died after being left inside a car for more than two hours in the sun, exposed to temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Authorities determined that the cause of death was severe dehydration.
Experts have warned that the interior of a vehicle can reach temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius (30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the outside temperature, turning these spaces into death traps in a matter of minutes, especially for young children.
In 2025, 31 children died in the United States from extreme heatstroke in vehicles, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Over the past 25 years, more than 1,000 children have died from hyperthermia or extreme heatstroke.
Source: unotv
