Officials in Texas are reporting that a five-year-old boy has died after he was left in a hot car for hours while his mother prepared for a birthday party.
The incident occurred in front of a home in Harris County on Monday.
Authorities say the mother was in a rush to set up for her 8-year-old daughter’s birthday party when she got home.
The 8-year-old got out of the car on her own but the mother did not realize that her 5-year-old remained in the car.
Two to three hours later, the mother realized her son was not in the house and went outside to look for him.
The child was eventually found unresponsive inside of the car.
Authorities arrived to the home and pronounced the child dead at the scene.
The mother told authorities that her son knew how to unbuckle himself and get out of the car.
Police believe the child did not attempt to get out because the car was a rental and he was unfamiliar with it.
It is unclear if the mother will face any charges.