9-Year-Old Girl Dies in Hot Car; Mother Detained at Galena Park Job Site
GALENA PARK, Texas — A heartbreaking investigation is underway in Harris County after a 9-year-old girl was found dead inside a vehicle parked at her mother’s workplace on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident took place at a gated employee parking lot at USG Corporation, a major industrial manufacturer best known for producing building materials such as Sheetrock. The company’s facility is located in the 1200 block of Mayo Shell Road.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the child’s mother arrived at work for her scheduled 6 a.m. shift and brought her daughter with her. Investigators say the girl remained inside the vehicle throughout the day, with partially rolled-down windows, a sunshade, and a bottle of water — but no air conditioning.
Authorities believe the child was left inside the car for approximately eight hours, until the mother’s shift ended around 2 p.m. Upon returning to the vehicle, the mother found her daughter unresponsive and called emergency services at 2:06 p.m. Paramedics arrived shortly after, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
At an evening press briefing, Sheriff Gonzalez expressed deep concern over the incident.
“We don’t know if anyone checked on the child during the day,” Gonzalez said. “While we understand there may have been difficult circumstances, leaving a child in a car is never an acceptable solution.”
The mother was taken into custody at the scene. While no formal charges had been announced at the time of the briefing, investigators indicated that criminal charges are likely.
Gonzalez added that detectives are looking into possible issues the mother may have faced, such as lack of access to childcare or support from family. However, he emphasized that such circumstances do not justify the extreme risk posed by leaving a child unattended in a vehicle — particularly during the heat of the Texas summer.
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The exact temperature inside the vehicle at the time of discovery was not disclosed, but it’s well-documented that temperatures inside a parked car can quickly soar, even with windows cracked and sunshades in place. According to child safety experts, interior car temperatures can exceed 130°F (54°C) within minutes on a warm day.
This tragic incident marks another reminder of the dangers of hot car exposure. National child safety organizations continue to urge parents and caregivers to never leave children in unattended vehicles — not even for a few minutes.
As the Harris County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation, the community is left mourning a life cut tragically short. Authorities have not yet released the child’s name.
