U.S. man whose son died in hot car charged with negligent homicide

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. – The father of a 15-month-old boy who died after being left in a hot car in July has been charged with negligent homicide.

Kyle Seitz turned himself in to Ridgefield town police on Tuesday after learning there was a warrant for his arrest, police said.

Seitz, 36, was released on a promise to appear in Danbury Superior Court on Wednesday. The charge against him is a misdemeanour punishable by up to a year in prison upon conviction.

Seitz was supposed to take his son, Benjamin Seitz, to day care on July 7 but instead went to work, police said. Benjamin was inside the car for more than seven hours as temperatures climbed into the upper 80s, they said. Seitz found Benjamin in the car when he went to day care after work to pick him up, and he then took him to a hospital.

The medical examiner ruled the case a homicide.

A phone message seeking comment from Seitz was not immediately returned Tuesday.