A 23-year-old father has been charged with his son’s death after he left his 3-year-old boy in a hot car on a day that reached 92-degrees in Smyrna, Tennessee.
Four months ago, in July, 3-year-old Daylin Palmer was found unresponsive inside a hot vehicle by police officers, WTVF reports. It was reported that the authorities believe Daylin died due to heat exposure after being left in the car for two hours.
His father, 23-year-old Dylan Levesque, was the parent responsible for Daylin at the time of his unexpected passing. According to WTVF, Dylan was initially charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect.
According to the Daily News Journal, authorities were first called after Levesque’s grandmother came home and asked the father where Daylin was. Hours before that, Levesque had picked his son up and drove him to the home he shared with his grandmother.
When the grandmother brought up Daylin, that’s when the 23-year-old ran outside and found his son still in his car. In November, a grand jury added the new charge of first-degree murder.
Shortly after Daylin’s passing, a friend of Dylan’s told the Daily News Journal that the father’s “mental health was in decline,” calling the 3-year-old’s death “a tragic, awful accident.”
The friend James Fuller said, “(Levesque) didn’t even remember picking him up. That’s the kind of state of mind he was in.”
And past police reports tied to Dylan’s name confirm what his friend told the Daily News Journal. Authorities were reportedly called to the man’s home on several occasions for disturbances such as fire off gunshots when he started hearing voices.
According to Kids and Cars, in 2019 alone, 53 children have died after being left in a hot car. As the website states, “even the best of parents or caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping baby in a car; and the end result can be injury or even death.”
The 23-year-old will be arraigned on Monday, November 25. He is currently being held on a $50,250 bond.
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