Baby girl who died from being left in the back of a hot car 'for hours' in San Diego - just two months after being adopted by local gay couple
Baby girl who died from being left in the back of a hot car 'for hours' in San Diego - just two months after being adopted by local gay couple
By NIC WHITE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 01:49 BST, 24 June 2024 | UPDATED: 22:06 BST, 25 June 2024
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A tiny baby girl died after being left in the back of a hot car just two months after her adoptive parents took her home as a newborn.
Diana Sofia Aleman Roman was found unresponsive in the SUV outside her parents' home in Santee, San Diego, about 12.20am on June 13.
She had been left in the car for several hours in 63F weather when a family member found her and called 911. The baby girl was rushed to hospital but did not survive.
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San Diego County Sheriff's Office detectives are investigating how Diana was forgotten in the car and who left her there. No charges have been filed.
Studies show temperature inside a car can rise to 104F in just half an hour on a 70F day, and reach 115F in an hour. The body's organs begin to shut down at 107F.
Diana's parents Romer and Jayson De Los Santos took her home on April 11 after flying to Arizona where they met the baby girl in hospital for the first time.
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Two-month-old baby girl Diana Sofia De Los Santos, pictured with her father Romer, died after being left in the back of a hot car
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Her other father Jayson De Los Santon cradles her in hospital on the day the couple adopted her
Adorable photos showed them cradling the infant and introducing her to their two-year-old son, who was also adopted, and Diana at home in her crib.
'I haven’t slept in days,' Romer wrote next to one of them.
The couple posted a link to an adoption site profile on social media in November, seeking a second child.
'Our hearts and home are open to providing more love to another amazing child,' they wrote on the profile.
'We want our children to grow up full of memories of playing on the beach, building sandcastles, making friends, biking to the park, going on Hawaiian cruises and learning how to raise foster kittens.'
Romer, a senior consultant at Jama Software, and Jayson, a stay-at-home dad since they adopted their son, have been together for more than 20 years.
They tied the knot in 2008 during the few months when same-sex marriage was legal in California before they were again banned by Proposition 8 until 2013.
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The SUV that Diana was left inside for several hours out the front of the home in Santee, San Diego, on June 13
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Adorable photos showed them cradling the infant and introducing her to their two-year-old son, who was also adopted
The adoption profile described their lives in detail and promised to 'raise healthy, responsible, and most importantly, kind adults'.
The couple live in a three-bedroom house that has so many animals it is 'basically a zoo' with three cats, two dogs, chickens, fish, and a flock of parakeets.
They include a Samoyed named Hero that their son often sleeps on, a west highland white terrier, cats named Shego, Selina, and Puffy, and various foster animals.
Romer is an avid gardener and grows fruit, vegetables, bonsai trees, and flowers in the backyard and Jayson looks after the animals and collects eggs from the chickens.
'Our house is very popular with our neighbors and their children. They say it's like a petting zoo... Everybody is so excited to meet our future child,' they wrote.
The couple wrote that the new baby would have three 'ready-made best friends' in three boys aged less than two who lived next door and often played with their son.
'Seeing how gentle he plays with them we know that he would treasure a little sister or brother, and they will thrive with such a loving big brother,' they wrote.
The profile explained they both came from big families that often had dinners and parties and went on holiday together.
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Diana lies in her crib surrounded by soft toys and a mobile while her big brother looks on
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Romer, a senior consultant at Jama Software, and Jayson, a stay-at-home dad since they adopted their son, have been together for more than 20 years
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Romer and Jayson took her home on April 11 after flying to Arizona where they met baby Diana in hospital for the first time
Romer and Jayson promised the birth parents could visit the child and see as many photos as they wanted.
'We admire the courage it takes for you to search for just the right family for the new life you are carrying. We recognize that it is not a decision to be taken lightly and understand that love is the source of your selfless act,' they wrote.
'We believe we're not only adopting a child, but also opening our hearts to a whole new family.'
A neighbor told DailyMail.com the couple seemed like good parents and were often seen playing outside with their children.
'They seem like a nice family who wanted to give a couple of kids a good life, it's just a shame it didn't turn out that way,' they said.
Paramedics rushed to the scene after 911 was called and tried to save Diana, who was rushed to Sharp Grossmont Hospital, where she died.
Neighbors said the ambulance came and left within a few minutes, and doorbell camera footage showed the late-night emergency response.
The county Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death.
Neighbors said the ambulance came and left within a few minutes, and doorbell camera footage showed the late-night emergency response
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The couple live in a three-bedroom house that has so many animals it is 'basically a zoo' with three cats, two dogs, chickens, fish, and a flock of parakeets
About 37 children die from being left in a hot car every year across the US, including at least 56 in California since 1998, according to statistics by San Jose State University Adjunct Professor of Meteorology Jan Null for No Heat Stroke.
Texas and Florida had by far the most deaths with 142 and 110, and the hot South and South West had the most per capita.
Children can't regulate their temperature as efficiently as adults and their body temperatures warm up three to five times faster.
Heatstroke sets in when body temperature reaches 104F and organs begin to shut down at 107F.
Temperatures inside a car can rise to 104F in just half an hour on a 70F day, and reach 115F in an hour. On a 95F day it would get to 140F in an hour.
Cracking the window only reduces the temperature by about 3F.
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Romer is an avid gardener and grows fruit, vegetables, bonsai trees, and flowers in the backyard and Jayson looks after the animals and collects eggs from the chickens
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Romer explained they both came from big families that often had dinners and parties and went on holiday together
California law imposes a $100 fine on anyone who lives a child under six in a car 'where there are conditions that present a significant risk to the child’s health or safety'.
'Never leave your child alone in a car even for a second to dash into a store or to run a quick errand,' police said.
'Summer routines can shift unexpectedly. Even the best parents can forget a quiet or sleeping child is in the backseat of a car.'
Police can also level various charges from neglect to manslaughter depending on what harm comes to the child.
However, parents who mistakenly believe their children were not in the car are often not charged as the pain of losing a child is considered punishment enough.
Some prosecutors still charge parents with manslaughter and many have gone to jail.
As difficult as it is to imagine forgetting your child in a car, experts explain that parents often function on autopilot and lose awareness that a child is there.
Statistics show wide variability in race, socioeconomics, and occupations of parents who fatally left their children in vehicles, suggesting it can happen to anyone.
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About 37 children die from being left in a hot car every year across the US, including at least 56 in California since 1998. Texas and Florida had by far the most deaths with 142 and 110
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The hot South and South West had the most child car deaths per capita
Cases were rare before the 1990s when parents were advised to put young children in the back seat as their airbag could kill them in an accident.
But this had the unintended consequence of making children strapped into car seats much easier to forget, and even more with rear-facing seats for infants.
No Heat Stroke suggested putting a soft toy in the front seat to remind you there was a child in the car, or putting items you need in the back seat next to the child.
Vehicles should also be locked at all times and keys kept out of reach to stop curious children climbing in and getting locked inside.
'Teach children that vehicles are never to be used as a play area, and that if they can't get out of the rear doors, to try the front doors and failing that, to honk the horn to get the attention of others,' it said.