The mother of a young child who tragically died after being left in a hot car in Georgia is facing charges of second degree murder. Nyla Simmons, 22, allegedly left her seven-month-old baby, Novanni Truvan Simmons, in the car outside the dealership where she worked. The infant was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead. Simmons was arrested and charged with second degree murder and second degree cruelty to children, and is currently held without bond in Lee County Jail. The incident occurred on a day when temperatures in Albany reached 31C, but the exact duration the child spent in the car unattended is unknown.

Following a post mortem examination, the official cause of the child’s death is pending as authorities await further test results. Investigations led by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are ongoing, with Simmons identified as a suspect through interviews and evidence collection. In a separate incident, a father, Christopher Scholtes, who left his two-year-old daughter, Parker, in a hot car resulting in her death, tragically passed away before turning himself in as part of a plea deal. Scholtes had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse. The circumstances of both cases serve as sobering reminders of the dangers of leaving children unattended in hot vehicles.