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Avraham Chaitovsky, 28, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release on Tuesday, July 16.
Lakewood police responded to a report of a child in cardiac arrest on New Egypt Road at around 1:45 p.m. on Monday, July 15. Officers found Hatzolah Medical Services giving lifesaving aid to the eight-week-old girl but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators said Chaitovsky left his daughter in his vehicle by herself "for an extended period of time."
"The investigation further determined that the act of leaving the infant in the car unattended for such a long period of time was the cause and manner of the infant’s death," Billhimer said.
Chaitovsky was taken into custody and held in the Ocean County Jail.
The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for many parts of New Jersey, including Ocean County, between Sunday, July 14, and Wednesday, July 17. AccuWeather said Monday's high temperature reached 97 degrees in Lakewood.
Advocacy group Kids and Car Safety said the girl was the 11th child in the U.S. to die in a hot vehicle and the first in the Garden State in 2024.
"At least 1,095 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990 and at least another 7,500 survived with varying types and severities of injuries, according to data collected by Kids and Car Safety," the group said in a news release. "Approximately 88 percent of children who die in hot cars are age three or younger and the majority (55%) were unknowingly left by an otherwise loving, responsible parent or caregiver."
Billhimer also said the investigation is ongoing and Chaitovsky could receive more charges.
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