DURHAM, N.C. — Parents of the Durham girl found dead in a vehicle will talk more about what happened at a news conference Wednesday morning.
Durham Police say a 3-year-old girl was found dead inside a van in an apartment building parking lot. The girl was identified by police as Leslie Ramirez.
A family member found the child just after 7 p.m. Monday in the 1100 block of Hearthside Street.
Neighbors say a young girl was found in a car and that it appears she’d been left there. The call was first dispatched as a “cardiac arrest” incident, Durham Police said.
“Once (police) arrived they discovered an unconscious person, who was pronounced deceased a short time later,” police said in an email.
Leslie’s father is having a tough time dealing with the death of one of his five children.
Rene Ramirez, Leslie’s dad, is struggling to come to grips with the devastating loss of his child.
“She was so special, so beautiful.”
Neighbors tell CBS North Carolina Ramirez came home from work shortly after 7 p.m. Monday when he noticed something was wrong. The lights inside the van were on and his daughter was inside.
The dad tried to save his daughter who was inside this van.
“He tried to get her back alive, but it was too late already,” said witness Jose Muniz
Neighbors who were watching the father say he did everything he could.
“He was running crazy trying to get the keys to open the van. Some of the guys put a shirt on his hand trying to break the window, that’s when he popped the door open,” said Muniz.
Ramirez says his wife is distraught and on Tuesday afternoon, an ambulance arrived for Leslie’s mother and later took her away.
Her family says the mom is sick and in shock after her daughter’s death.
“She’s in the room. She doesn’t want to talk to anybody,” the grieving father said.
Meanwhile, 911 calls were released on Tuesday.
Caller: “I think they left her in the car.”
911 operator: You think they left her in the car?
Caller: “Yeah. I was outside and I just saw them screaming and trying to break the windows to the car. Yeah, I think she’s dead.”
A small memorial has appeared for Leslie in the driveway.
Police say the incident is a suspicious death. Homicide investigators are working on the case and police say an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator E. Ortiz at (919) 560-4440, or CrimeStoppers at (919) 683-1200.