VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office released the name of the baby who died in an SUV that was parked at Deltona Middle School.
Authorities also released the name of six-month-old Trenton Cason-Collins' caregiver, Chanda Larson, 38.
Trenton was Larson's cousin and had been placed in her care six weeks ago, investigators said. Trenton died Friday after deputies said Larson accidentally left him in her SUV in Deltona.
According to a statement that Larson gave to investigators, she had dropped off her son at his school Friday morning and then brought Trenton’s sister to her bus stop. Larson was then supposed to drop off Trenton at a day care in Deltona, but forgot and drove directly to Deltona Middle School, arriving there at about 7:30 a.m., investigators said.
The initial incident report released earlier Monday indicated that Trenton was found face down on the back seat of Larson’s silver, 2008 Honda SUV and out of his car seat.
According to Larson's statement, when she discovered Trenton in the vehicle Friday afternoon, she removed him from the car seat and called out for help. A bystander came to her aid and attempted to resuscitate Trenton, but when the efforts failed, Trenton was placed on the back seat in the position he was found when deputies arrived.
Authorities said they received a frantic 911 call from Larson about the baby at 3:54 p.m. Friday. Trenton was left in a car seat in the back seat of the SUV that was in the parking lot of the school campus on Enterprise Road.
Authorities said Larson was so upset that she handed the phone to a coworker.
"I think she forgot the child and left him in the school lot, in the car all day while she was at work," the coworker told a dispatcher in a 911 call. “She left her infant in the car. The child is not breathing. We're at Deltona Middle School on Enterprise Boulevard."
So far, no charges have been filed, but Channel 9 found out Larson has been temporarily removed from the classroom, pending the outcome of the investigation.
A makeshift memorial of balloons, flowers and teddy bears continues to grow outside the school.
"It was sad,” said David Zapata, a parent who visited the memorial to pay his respects. "I have two kids of my own. You have to be careful with kids. I won't leave them in the car by themselves now and they're big."
Two Deltona Middle School students are planning a moment of silence for the young boy, which is scheduled for Tuesday morning at the school’s flagpole.
“We felt like we had to do something,” said Kayla Herrera, 12, a sixth-grader who sought permission from her principal to plan the memorial.
Grief counselors were made available to teachers Monday, and they’ll be at the school Tuesday as students return from a holiday, a school board spokeswoman said.
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