Toddler dies due to heat after being left in vehicle outside Jacksonville Beach church, police say

This browser does not support the video element.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — Update, 9/6/23: The Jacksonville Beach Police Department said the girl was 2 years old and was “left in a personal vehicle that was parked in the parking lot of the church.” JBPD said it will share more updates in the investigation as soon as they become available.


Update 9/5/23: The Jacksonville Beach Police Department has reported that the toddler was reportedly left inside a vehicle in the parking lot of the Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool, and died due to heat. No further information is available at this time.


Original story from 9/5/23: The Jacksonville Beach Police Department reported a female toddler died due to heat-related circumstances at the Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool Tuesday afternoon.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

JBPD reported that at around 2:40 p.m., Officers received a call due to an unresponsive juvenile at the Bethlehem Lutheran Preschool.

When arriving at the scene, Officers located the unresponsive juvenile, who was later reported deceased.

The age at this time has not been released, but it has been confirmed that the victim was a female toddler, and heat played a role in the child’s death. The child was also reportedly outside on the church’s property.

A daycare was being actively held during the time of the toddler’s death.

Officers are actively working on the investigation to learn the origin of the juvenile’s death.

Action News Jax is at the scene working to learn more information about the cause of death and details surrounding the incident.

This is an ongoing investigation and the story will be updated when details arrive.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

This browser does not support the video element.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.