Illinois baby died after being in a hot car for a long period of time

UPDATED: (2:30 p.m.) — A baby who was found Monday night unresponsive and not breathing died as a result of severe hyperthermia and dehydration.

That could have been as result of being in a closed vehicle for a long period, said Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood

“I can’t sugarcoat it. Those are the facts. There is no silver lining,” he said, imploring area residents not to leave a baby inside of a car, even for a shot period of time.

Harwood said on Tuesday that his deputies knew fairly quickly that the baby, 1-month-old Grayson Luncsford, had been dead for at least four hours before he was found in the 2400 block of North Peoria Avenue Monday night.

“I’ve been in the job for eight years and very few things have made me that upset and hit me like that,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

Just after 7 p.m., Monday, Peoria police were called the 2400 block of North Peoria Avenue on a report of a dead baby. That’s near the intersection of East Archer Avenue.

A relative opened up the car door where the baby was and took the infant out. That’s how he ended up on the grassy lawn where police found him, Harwood said.

As of Tuesday at 3 p.m., Luncsford remained in the Peoria County Jail on the single count of endangering the life and health of a child. It wasn’t clear if she would be charged formally in court..

Such a move would likely happen on Wednesday.

HYPERTHERMIA what is that?

Harwood spent a considerable amount of time talking about hyperthermia, which is a condition where the body gets too hot. He said the condition can hit a baby fairly quickly due to their small body size as well as their inability to move and cool off.

Also, he said, babies can’t rehydrate themselves as they are unable to move.

This story will be updated.

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Baby found Monday may have been ‘dead a while,’ Peoria Police Chief said

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The city’s top cop said a baby boy who died Monday night on Peoria’s East Bluff may have been “dead for a while.”

Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria said he wasn’t sure of all the details or what happened to the infant. More information, he said, would likely come out after an autopsy at the Peoria County Coroner’s Office.

Coroner Jamie Harwood confirmed an autopsy was being done on the young boy on Tuesday. Results could be released at a later time.

Echevarria also confirmed the boy’s mother was Andrea Luncsford, 25, and that the baby was one-month-old, having been born in August.

A check of Peoria County Jail records indicates Luncsford was booked into the Peoria County Jail early Tuesday morning on the single charge of endangering the life or health of a child.

It was not immediately clear if she would be formally charged in court.

Just after 7 p.m., Monday, Peoria police were called the 2400 block of North Peoria Avenue on a report of a dead baby, said Semone Roth of the Peoria Police Department. That’s near the intersection of East Archer Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found the boy unresponsive and not breathing. He was on a grassy lawn where first responders were attempting to revive the child. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Monday night, Harwood said the boy was restrained in a car seat in the cab of pickup truck. Luncsford was with the baby at the time.

This story will be updated.

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