Newborn dies after being left in hot car in Peoria

PEORIA, Ill. (WAND) - A newborn has died after being left in a hot car in Peoria.

Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said the 1-month-old boy named Grayson was pulled from a pickup truck Monday and placed in a yard by the baby's grandfather.

WEEK reported that Harwood said it is difficult to determine how exactly how long the baby had been in the vehicle but that it had been more than four hours.

Grayson's cause of death was hyperthermia and severe dehydration.

Police were called to the 2400 block of North Peoria Ave. around 7 p.m.

Officers said Grayson was not breathing when they arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His mother, Andrea Luncsford, was arrested and charged with endangering the life and health of a child.

WEEK said Luncsford has a criminal record dating back to 2019 when she was charged with aggravated battery of a peace officer in Chillicothe. She was charged with that same crime again in 2022 in Peoria County and again in 2023 in McLean County.

The group Kids and Car Safety report this is the 34th child to die in a hot car nationwide this year and the second hot car death of the year in Illinois.

This story first appeared on 25News Now.