A Nebraska father is facing criminal charges after his infant son died when left in a vehicle on an extremely hot summer day.
Emergency responders were called to a parking lot in Hastings on Monday around 5 p.m. following reports of an unresponsive baby inside a car, according to KSNB, NTV and KETV.
The five-month-old was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, the outlets reported. A preliminary investigation indicated the child succumbed to extreme heat exposure.
That evening, police arrested the boy’s father, 36-year-old Jeremy Hansen, and charged him in connection with his son’s death. He has been charged with negligent child abuse resulting in death.
“This is a heartbreaking incident and our hearts go out to the family, friends, first responders and all those affected by this unimaginable loss,” authorities said in a statement, according to NTV.
On Tuesday, the Adams County District Attorney’s office formally filed charges. Hansen is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Friday. As of now, it’s unclear whether he has secured legal representation or entered a plea.
At the time the child was found, temperatures in southern Nebraska hovered around 105°F, according to the U.S. National Weather Service.
“We know we have at least a few days like this every summer,” the agency wrote in a Facebook post. “That doesn’t make them any less dangerous to those vulnerable to heat, working outdoors, without AC and to pets.”
According to Kids and Car Safety, Nebraska has seen five child deaths from hot car incidents between 1999 and 2024. Nationally, an average of 40 children die each year from heatstroke in vehicles.
