A 5-year-old boy, Theo, died after being found unconscious in the family car, parked in front of their home in Peoria, Arizona (United States). The tragedy occurred on Sunday 13 September, immediately after the family returned from the baptism of another child. There was a party going on in the house which was attended by around 50 friends and relatives. The parents were arrested for the child’s death: Mihail Sabo, 50 years old, and Anca Sabo, 45 years old.
Two and a half hours by car
According to what was reconstructed by the US media, the family returned home around 1pm. The child remained inside the car while his parents were busy welcoming guests. Only shortly before 4pm did the couple notice the child’s absence and began looking for him. It was his mother who found him, who saw him lifeless inside the passenger compartment. His family members immediately placed him outside and began giving him cardiopulmonary resuscitation. When rescuers arrived, Theo was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Temperatures reached 41 degrees in Peoria that day. However, the official cause of death has not yet been made public and the authorities have not clarified whether the scorching heat played a role.
The accusations against the parents
Mihail and Anca were charged with negligent manslaughter and child abuse. The couple has four other children aged 18, 15, 14 and 9. After separate hearings, both were set bail at $150,000. The two spouses cannot have contact with each other, but they have been allowed to see their other children through supervised visits. The conflicting versions given about who should take care of Theo upon his return weigh on the parents’ position. According to what was reported to investigators, Anca thought it was up to Mihail to take the child from the car. The father, however, said he asked his 14-year-old son to do so, but the boy denied ever receiving such a request. Investigators are evaluating the hypothesis of a tragic misunderstanding between family members.
Tears in the classroom
During the hearing, Anca appeared shocked and in tears: “I want to see my children – she said, addressing the judge -. Please, let me see my children”. In contrast, Mihail remained with his head down, showing little emotion. The woman’s lawyer, Leah Dodd, disputed the legitimacy of the arrests, calling the incident “a tragedy.” According to the defense, Anca promptly called the emergency services after the discovery and actively participated in the resuscitation attempts: “Everything she and her husband did after finding the child in the car was in accordance with normal care procedures,” Dodd argued.
The position of the Maricopa County Prosecutor, Brooke Gaunt, is of the opposite sign, highlighting the period of time in which the child remained unattended under the sun: “The child remained in the car for more than two and a half hours and the parents were unaware of his whereabouts during that entire period.” The next hearing has been set for September 21st, while the proceedings against the two parents remain ongoing.