Library employee left 7-month-old baby boy in hot car to die while she spent the entire day at work, police say

A Tennessee pistillate is down bars aft she near an babe to die successful a blistery car for hours, Volunteer State instrumentality enforcement says.

Linda Stevens, 69, stands accused of criminally negligent homicide, the Putnam County District Attorney's Office announced this week.

In a press release, prosecutors alleged the suspect "did unlawfully and negligently kill" 7-month-old Gabrielle Alonzo.

The underlying incidental occurred connected April 15, extracurricular the Monterey Branch Library connected East Commercial Avenue, which is portion of the Putnam County Library System. A 911 telephone was placed astir an unconscious kid successful a car, the Monterey Police Department said.

Officers arrived astir 4 p.m. connected the time successful question and recovered the kid deceased, according to instrumentality enforcement.

Putnam County Sheriff Eddie Farris said attempts to execute CPR were unsuccessful, according to Nashville-based ABC affiliate WKRN.

Investigators accidental Stevens secured "the kid and his car spot successful the backseat of her vehicle" and "secured the car spot with the loop buckle" and had plans to driblet the lad disconnected astatine daycare "but she did not."

"Once secured successful the vehicle, Linda Charlene Stevens drove to the nationalist room successful Monterey…where she worked," the property merchandise reads. "She entered the gathering and began her enactment day."

The kid is alleged to person languished successful the car for immoderate 8 hours.

"She near the kid secured successful her locked car from 8:00 americium until astir 4:00 pm. erstwhile she received a telephone telephone from a household subordinate asking astir the child's whereabouts," the DA's bureau said.

The suspect has been described arsenic the child's foster grandmother.

Farris said the baby's foster parent sent him on with Stevens truthful helium could beryllium dropped disconnected astatine time care, according to WKRN. When the kid ne'er arrived, however, the time attraction called the foster parent who past reached retired to the defendant. That's erstwhile the horrific realization hit.

"This is simply a devastating tragedy," the sheriff said. "We are thoroughly investigating the circumstances regarding this incident. As temperatures rise, delight instrumentality a infinitesimal and ever cheque your vehicle. A elemental cheque tin prevention a child's life."

The suspect was primitively detained successful the Putnam County Jail connected $50,000 enslaved – which she subsequently posted – and was released connected Friday afternoon, jailhouse records show.