Two toddlers dead after 15 hours in hot car, police say

KABB reported that, according to Hierholzer, Amanda Hawkins, 19, walked into Peterson Regional Medical Center in  Kerrville, Texas, with Brynn and Addyson. She told workers the toddlers collapsed while running around nearby Flat Rock Lake and may have gotten into something poisonous when they were smelling flowers.

Authorities said that they determined the children were actually left unattended in Hawkins’ car overnight on June 6 until the afternoon of June 7 after Child Protective Services notified them. Hierholzer said the children spent about 15 hours in the car with no food, water, or restroom visits.

“This isn’t the first time she’s left them in the car,” Hierholzer told KABB.

Bexar County Sheriff's Office

Bexar County Sheriff's Office

Hawkins and a 16-year-old male friend were at the home of another friend while the two children were left in the car.

“They stayed in the house all night,” Hierholzer said.

At one point, according to Hierholzer, someone in that house could hear the children crying in the car and told Hawkins to bring them inside, but she did not.

At one point, the 16-year-old went out to the car to sleep and then returned to the house.

According to KABB, Hierholzer said Hawkins’ discovered the children were unconscious and she tried to bathe and redress them. She had to be convinced to take the toddlers to the hospital, according to Hierholzer. KSAT reported that a police statement said Hawkins didn’t immediately take the girls to the hospital because she “did not want to get into trouble.”

By 5 p.m. Thursday, the children were taken off ventilators and died, Hierholzer said.

As of Friday, Hawkins faces two charges of child endangerment and had her bond at Bexar County Jail set $35,000 at for each count, according to Hierholzer.

“It’s the most horrific thing I’ve seen,” Hierholzer said. “These kids were left in that car intentionally.”