Child found unresponsive in vehicle near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road in north Phoenix dies, police investigating possible heat-related death

A 5-year-old child was found unresponsive in a vehicle outside a home near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road in north Phoenix on Sunday afternoon and later died at a hospital, officials said. Authorities are investigating the death as a possible heat-related incident, with family members having attempted CPR before emergency responders arrived.

The child was found unresponsive Sunday afternoon in a vehicle outside a home near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road in the north Phoenix/Peoria area, according to FOX 10. Family members removed the child from the car and attempted CPR before Peoria Fire personnel transported the child to a nearby hospital, where the child was pronounced dead, officials said. Authorities are investigating the death as a possible heat-related incident, but no final cause of death has been released.

The National Safety Council reports that an average of 37 children die each year in hot-car incidents nationwide.

The child’s parents, Mihail and Anca Sabo, were arrested following the incident and face charges of negligent homicide and child abuse, FOX 10 reported. Each parent’s bond was set at $150,000. The case remains under active investigation by local authorities, with no additional details released at this time.

According to the timeline reported by FOX 10, the family had returned home around 1 p.m. Sunday after attending a baptism at a church. At approximately 3:45 p.m., the family realized the child was missing and began searching. The mother reportedly found the child unresponsive inside the vehicle at the residence near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road. Emergency responders arrived shortly afterward and transported the child to the hospital.

In 2024, 39 child hot-car deaths were recorded, and 16 deaths had been reported in 2025 as of the last update. Arizona has consistently ranked among the states with a high number of child hot-car deaths. ABC15 reported that at least 47 children have died in hot cars in Arizona since 1994, placing the state fourth highest in the nation for such deaths. A 2026 report from Kids and Car Safety listed Arizona among the states with the highest total number of child hot-car deaths historically, and another study ranked Arizona’s per-capita hot-car death rate among the highest nationally.

While these statistics provide context on the dangers of heat-related vehicle deaths, authorities have not confirmed heat as the cause of death in this case. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death near 67th Avenue and Happy Valley Road is ongoing. Officials have not released further information pending the outcome of the inquiry.