A North Texas father is facing criminal charges after his 2-year-old daughter died earlier this month after being trapped in a hot car.
Hamuda Raufu, 40, told police he and his family returned home on July 17 and took a nap after a long day at Fair Park, believing all of the children had exited the vehicle. Raufu said after he woke up, he went outside to work on his car when he noticed his daughter, Sekinat Nariyah Raufu, still strapped into her car seat.
Raufu said he took the toddler inside and his wife performed CPR for 30 minutes before they drove to Children's Medical City Hospital in Dallas. They arrived shortly before 7 p.m. and the child was declared dead about 30 minutes later. Child Protective Services was then notified.
In a news release on July 27, Dallas police said during their investigation into the child's death, "additional information was developed regarding the circumstances of the child’s death, the actions of both parents, and other child witnesses." From that, a warrant was issued for Raufu's arrest and he was taken into custody Monday by officers with the U.S. Marshals Office.
Raufu has been charged with abandoning a child in imminent danger and his bond is set at $5,000.
No other charges have been made at this time.
