Video: OPD evidence shows why child, 3, couldn't escape hot van before death

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orange-Osceola County State's Attorney's office Friday released video from Orlando police about the death of 3-year-old Myles Hill, who was found inside a day care van on a hot summer day in August.

An OPD detective demonstrated how he tried to unlock and get out of a blue van where Hill was found Aug. 7 after he was left inside the van for nearly 12 hours outside Little Miracles Academy on West Gore Street. Temperatures inside the van reached more than 100 degrees, police said.

Read: Insurance company argues it isn't liable for hot van death of 3-year-old boy at Orlando day care

Deborah St. Charles told detectives all the children were out of the vehicle, she locked the van and went inside the day care.

The detective determined it would be nearly impossible for Hill to escape the scorching vehicle because of the difficulty opening the locks and doors.

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On Aug. 10, the detective examined the van where Hill was found. The detective tried several times to open the driver side door. The detective explained that he was a 44-year-old man who weighed 195 pounds, and that he had difficulty opening the door.

Photos: Myles Hill, 3, found dead in hot vehicle

"I'm using a great amount of force to get it open," the detective said.

The detective also went to the passenger side door and said he had issues trying to open the door.

“Same amount of force is required to open,” the detective said.

The sliding door on the right passenger side is not functional, investigators said. It eventually opened, but it took the detective multiple attempts to open.

On the left passenger side, there is a manual override lock, but it does take force to unlock and open the door if attempted, the investigator said.

There was also no way from the rear to open the hatch, the investigator said.

"With all the doors locked, if Myles in the condition that he was exposed to was not able to override the locks manually by lifting up, he's essentially locked inside and unable to exit," the detective said.
Hill was found in the back seat of the vehicle, investigators determined.

911 calls were also released as part of the newly released discovery.

"They said my baby didn't come to school today, but yet he went to school today. That's why I said I don't know if they done locked up my baby in the day care or what," Hill's grandmother Brenda Watts said to dispatchers.

St. Charles, who is facing charges of aggravated manslaughter in Hill's death, is at the Orange County Jail. She told investigators she didn't know Hill was in the back seat, police said.

St. Charles did not do a headcount to make sure everyone was out of the van, investigators said. St. Charles told investigators she was on the phone when she grabbed a backpack and cleaning supplies near where Hill was sitting, but she said she never realized Hill didn't get out of the vehicle.

Channel 9's Shannon Butler is following this developing story. Follow her on Twitter and Eyewitness News for updates.

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Watch video below of OPD examine day care van:

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