La. dad allegedly drank alcohol and left toddler in hot car for more than 9 hours, killing her

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. (TCN) — A 32-year-old man stands accused of leaving his young daughter inside a hot car for more than nine hours, killing her.

According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, on June 8, shortly before noon, deputies responded to a home after a family member found the 21-month-old victim unresponsive.

Upon further investigation, officials learned Joseph Boatman reportedly went to pick up his daughter at a relative’s house shortly after 2:30 a.m. Boatman allegedly strapped her into a car seat and went back inside the home but never returned to the vehicle.

The sheriff’s office alleges that before picking up his daughter, Boatman had “consumed multiple alcoholic beverages.”

Boatman was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on a charge of second-degree murder. His bond was set at $750,000.

In a statement, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said, “This is a devastating loss that no family ever wants to face. When a child is left in a vehicle, especially on a day when the heat index climbs over 100 degrees, the outcome can turn deadly in a matter of minutes. This case involved compromised judgment, and the result was heartbreaking.”

MORE: