Louisiana Father Charged in Child Hot Car Death

Joseph Boatman, a 32-year-old Louisiana father, has been charged with second-degree murder after leaving his 21-month-old daughter in a car seat for over nine hours on a day with temperatures above 100 degrees. Authorities reported that Boatman had consumed several alcoholic beverages before picking up his daughter around 2:30 a.m. and then left her in the vehicle outside his Madisonville-area home. A family member discovered the child unresponsive shortly before noon, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Sheriff Randy Smith called the incident a 'devastating loss' and warned of the deadly risks of leaving children in hot cars. The case highlights the recurring danger of vehicular heatstroke deaths, which claim about 40 young lives annually in the U.S., and underscores the need for caregiver vigilance. Boatman remains in custody as the investigation continues.