Nigerian Mother Charged with Murder After 9-Year-Old Daughter Dies in Hot Car in Texas

A Nigerian woman living in Texas has been arrested and charged with murder after her 9-year-old daughter died in a hot car earlier this year.

Authorities said 36-year-old Gbemisola Akayinode was taken into custody on Friday following the death of her daughter, Oluwasikemi Akayinode, which investigators ruled a homicide caused by hyperthermia, or heat stroke.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the incident occurred on July 1 in Galena Park, near Houston. Court documents revealed that Akayinode left her daughter in the car for more than eight hours while she worked at a manufacturing plant, on a day when temperatures reached 99 degrees Fahrenheit.

Akayinode reportedly arrived at work around 5:45 a.m. and left Oluwasikemi in the vehicle with food, a rechargeable fan, ice cubes, and water. She also partially rolled down the back windows and gave her daughter melatonin before the girl fell asleep, the documents said.

The mother told investigators she did not check on her daughter until her shift ended at 1:53 p.m. When she returned to the car, she found Oluwasikemi unresponsive and blue, prompting her to scream for help.

Akayinode admitted that she had brought her daughter to work with her several times before, claiming she could not afford day care until her next paycheck. However, investigators later discovered that her workplace foreman had been covering the cost of day care for her.

Officials had previously said they were waiting for autopsy results before determining whether charges would be filed. Following confirmation of the cause of death, Akayinode was charged with murder and is expected to appear in court next week.