HOUSTON, Texas — A 36-year-old Nigerian woman living in the United States has been arrested and charged with felony murder after her 9-year-old daughter died from heat exposure inside a parked vehicle.
Authorities say Gbemisola Akayinode left her daughter, Oluwasikemi, inside a car for more than eight hours on July 1 while she worked at a nearby manufacturing plant in Galena Park, Texas. Temperatures that day reached 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to investigators, Akayinode arrived at work around 5:45 a.m. and left her daughter in the vehicle with food, water, ice cubes, a rechargeable fan, and melatonin to help her sleep. She reportedly lowered the rear windows halfway and placed a sunshade in the front windshield, making it difficult for passersby to see inside.
When Akayinode returned to the car around 1:53 p.m., she found her daughter unresponsive and blue. CPR was initiated, and the child was transported to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled the death a homicide caused by hyperthermia. On October 17, Akayinode was arrested by homicide detectives and booked into the Harris County Jail.
Court documents revealed Akayinode had previously brought her daughter to work multiple times, citing financial hardship and lack of childcare. However, investigators found that her employer had been covering daycare expenses.
Akayinode allegedly blamed the child’s death on prescription medication for ADHD, but also admitted to giving her melatonin both that morning and the night before.
The case has drawn attention to the dangers of leaving children in hot vehicles and the broader issue of childcare access for working parents. Authorities confirmed that this was one of several hot car deaths involving children in Texas during the summer.
Akayinode remains in custody as the investigation continues.
