LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A hospital employee has been charged with murder after her 1-year-old son was discovered dead inside a hot vehicle parked outside Northside Hospital Gwinnett, where she had been working throughout the day. Authorities say the child had been left alone for more than eight hours before being found Wednesday afternoon.
Deja Coleman, 29, was charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children, according to a Lawrenceville Police Department press release issued Thursday. She was booked into the Gwinnett County Detention Center following an interview with investigators.
Timeline of events leading to discovery
Coleman arrived at the hospital around 6:55 a.m. after dropping off her two older children at daycare as part of what police described as her routine. According to Lawrenceville Police Capt. Dena Pauly, Coleman was expected to return to her vehicle to retrieve her youngest child.
“She had just dropped off her two older children at daycare as part of ‘her normal routine,’ after which she would ‘come back and retrieve the baby out of the car seat,'” Pauly said. “Unfortunately, yesterday morning, she forgot to make that second trip to the car.”
After parking, Coleman went into work. Police have not disclosed her role at the hospital.
At approximately 3:50 p.m., nearly nine hours later, a 911 caller reported a child locked inside a vehicle. The caller told dispatchers they were “banging on the window” but received no response. Officers arrived within minutes, broke a window, and removed the child.
“Unfortunately, the baby was deceased at that time,” Pauly said.
Investigation and arrest
Police said officers traced the vehicle’s registration back to Coleman and located her inside the hospital. She was informed of the situation and taken to the police department for questioning before being arrested.
“She forgot,” Pauly said of Coleman’s explanation. “She was devastated. She was devastated.”
Investigators later measured the temperature inside the vehicle about an hour after the child had been removed. Despite a missing window, the interior registered 117 degrees Fahrenheit.
Authorities also confirmed Coleman’s other children were placed in their father’s custody. Pauly noted that one of the children has medical needs requiring special attention, which influenced Coleman’s routine.
Lawrenceville police have not released additional details as the case proceeds.
