Tragedy Strikes: Infant Left in Hot Car Dies in Arizona

A tragic incident occurred in the Cordes Lake area Tuesday night, resulting in the death of a 6-month-old baby in Arizona.

YAVAPAI COUNTY, Ariz. — The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office reported that Tuesday night around 9 p.m., authorities were alerted to an infant left in a vehicle. Deputies and paramedics promptly arrived at the scene in Cordes Lake and discovered the baby deceased.

The Sheriff’s Office has yet to disclose how long the baby was left unattended in the car.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

In other local insights, the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, commonly known as “The Valley,” is the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.

Besides Phoenix, “The Valley” includes cities such as Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale, Surprise, Peoria, Gilbert, El Mirage, Avondale, Litchfield Park, Goodyear, and Buckeye.

Determining whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on its location relative to Phoenix. According to the 2020 United States Census, the combined population of these cities is approximately 4,845,832, making it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the nation.

Maricopa County, home to the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, is the 4th largest county in the United States with a population of 4,485,414, per the 2020 Census.

Encompassing around 63% of Arizona’s population and covering 9,224 square miles, Maricopa County is more extensive than seven U.S. states. It boasts one of the largest park systems, featuring about 120,000 acres of open space parks, numerous trails, nature centers, and campgrounds.

Phoenix serves as both the county seat and the state capital and is recognized as the 5th most populous city in the United States according to census data.

The county is named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.