A Virginia mother is facing charges after allegedly leaving her infant inside a vehicle Wednesday in Stafford County.
According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, 42-year-old Heather Wilder is currently facing child endangerment and child abuse charges after allegedly forgetting to drop the child off at daycare.
The incident unfolded in the 3700 block of Lafayette Boulevard, after police responded to calls regarding an unresponsive baby.
Upon arrival, they found the mother and infant inside a building. Spotsylvania Fire Rescue paramedics rushed the baby to Mary Washington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, he had a body temperature of 107°.
While interviewing Wilder, investigators determined that she left the infant inside a non-running vehicle for an extended period while working at Illusions Wraps, Roanoke.com reports.
NBC Washington reports that the infant had been in the vehicle, in a car seat, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“This is probably everybody’s worst nightmare,” Lt. Col. Delbert Myrick stated.
“These kinds of things are extremely sad and hard to explain, but they do happen from time to time. We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragic incident.”
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Wilder was booked into the Rappahannock Regional Jail. As preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August 7.
According to national nonprofit agency, Kid’s and Safety, the incident marks the fifth hot car child death in 2026.
Check back for updates.
[Featured image via Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office]
