Father Charged with Murder in Death of Toddler Left in Car. [View all]

[RiffRandell]

We hear about them every year.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. —


The man who left his child in a hot car Wednesday has been charged with murder.

Justin Ross Harris was charged with felony murder and cruelty to children in the first degree. He was being held with no bond Thursday.

According to Cobb County police, Harris was supposed to take his 22-month-old to day care around 8:30 a.m. Police said the father forgot and left his child inside his vehicle while he went to work.

"Apparently, he forgot the child was in the car seat in the back of the automobile and went to work, left work sometime around 4 or 4:15," said Sgt. Dana Pierce of the Cobb County Police Department.

Dale Hamilton witnessed the emotional scene as a father realized that his child was in the car.

After leaving work and making the discovery, the father pulled into Akers Mill Square near Cumberland Mall.

"Laid his son on the ground, started doing CPR trying to resuscitate him. Apparently the child wasn't responding," Hamilton said.

Police said the man had to be physically restrained once it became clear his child was gone.

"There were a number of witnesses, passersby in the area who observed basically the father in a very distressed moment," Pierce said.

"He kept saying, ‘What have I done? What have I done?’ And that's all that I could ascertain that he was saying," Hamilton said.

The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Link: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/father-who-left-child-hot-car-charged-murder/ngNzp/