A Las Vegas dad has been arrested and charged after his one-year-old daughter died in a hot car because he refused to let police break the windows of his new car.
27-year-old Sidney Deal flagged down officers after he accidentally locked his daughter, Sayah Deal, inside of a hot car with the keys on Monday afternoon.
When officers arrived on the scene they offered to break the window, call a tow truck or a locksmith.
Sidney Deal asked them to call his brother instead. He told his brother the air conditioning was on in the car. But, it was not.
When Deal’s brother arrived, he wrapped a shirt about his hand and offered to punch out the window. Sidney stopped him and claimed he didn’t have enough money to fix a broken window.
BLESSED just got a new car and a better job making 18 a hour ??Alhamduillah????
Posted by Yfn Jerz on Monday, September 21, 2020
Sidney told his brother to call their mom to have her insurance company send a locksmith.
Deal’s girlfriend told police she called the insurance company for him, but he told her to hang up because he didn’t like the quote for a tow truck.
After several minutes, police smashed the window and pulled the unresponsive child out of the car.
Sayah died at the scene.
Police believe the child had been in the car over an hour.
Sidney was arrested and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count of child abuse or neglect causing substantial bodily harm.
He is being held on $20,000 bond.
Sidney’s mother, Octavia Wilson, spoke with media and defended her son saying he was not negligent and he thought the air conditioning was on in the car.
Via Fox5Vegas:
Deal told police he had gotten into a fight with his girlfriend, and at the time of the incident was taking his daughter to spend the day at his brother’s. He said he accidentally locked the car when he realized he didn’t have his phone. When he went back, he told police the car was locked.
He told police the toddler walked from the back seat to the front and after a few minutes, laid down on the floorboard of the backseat. He said he thought she fell asleep but was fine with the air conditioner on.
He also allegedly admitted to rejecting offers to break the window to avoid a bill and damage to his new car.
That sweet baby didn’t deserve this.
