A 50-year-old woman charged with criminal negligence causing death after a three-year-old boy was left in a hot car in west-end Toronto has been released on bail.
Emergency officials said they were called to an apartment building southeast of Mill and Burnhamthorpe roads after 1 p.m. on Thursday following reports the child was left in a car for a period of time.
The child was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
READ MORE: Babysitter charged after boy found in hot car dies in west-end Toronto
An apartment resident who was outside at the time of the incident told Global News the building’s superintendent broke the car’s window to get access to the child.
She added the superintendent then removed the child from the car, who was strapped into a car seat.
The recorded temperature outdoors during that time in the day was 26 C or 31 C with the humidex.
Toronto police said it’s too early to say whether the heat inside the car caused the child’s death, but said the case serves as a stark reminder of the perils of hot vehicles.
Const. David Hopkinson said the woman had a connection to the boy’s family, but said the specific nature of the role she played in the boy’s life was not yet known.
“She picks up the child in the morning,” he said. “I believe she takes the child to another care facility, then picks him up again and takes him home. I don’t know what other responsibilities, if any, she has.”
Police said the accused, identified as Zeljna Kosovac, was placed into custody on Thursday and appeared in court on Friday.
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She was released on $5,000 bail, ordered to surrender her passport and cannot have contact with children under the age of 14.
Kosovac is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 16.
-With files from Nick Westoll and The Canadian Press
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