A father who allegedly left his 6-month-old daughter in a hot car, causing her death, tried to revive the baby by putting her in the refrigerator before calling 911, according to an arrest warrant released Wednesday.


According to the warrant issued for Michael Thedford, the Melissa father told investigators that he took his 5-year-old and 3-year-old children to daycare at about 9 a.m. Tuesday. He stated the youngest child named Fern, according to her grandfather wasn't going to daycare that day because she had a virus and was running a fever.

When he went home, Thedford said he forgot the baby was in the car and went inside the house to take a nap.

The warrant states that when he woke up around 1 p.m., roughly four hours later, he said he discovered the baby was in the car and ran outside. He found her unresponsive and took her into the house.

Thedford told police he placed his daughter in the refrigerator "for an undetermined length of time prior to calling 911."

The warrant goes on to say Thedford told officers he called his wife and 911 while trying to perform CPR on the child. When deputies arrived, they found the baby dead in the kitchen.

While being interviewed by the Collin County Sheriff's Department, Thedford told deputies he's an unemployed high school teacher. He said his wife of 12 years is a veterinarian in Plano, and she was at work during the incident.

Stan Thedford calls his son Michael a fantastic, doting dad. He declined to comment on why his son may have forgotten Fern was in the car.

“Every year at this time it happens to people from all walks of life,” he said of the tragedy. “It’s something we should all be more aware of.”

Thedford taught introduction to physics and chemistry at Celina High School last year, according to Celina Independent School District officials.

Thedford was arrested Tuesday on a charge of manslaughter. He was released after posting a $20,000 bond.

Temperatures in Collin County reached 91 degrees by noon the day the child died.

Source: WTSP.com