An investigation iss underway in New Jersey after an infant was found dead inside a minivan earlier this week, officials said.
The vehicle was parked on Fifth Street, between Monmouth and Princeton avenues, according to the Asbury Park Press. Police were called on to the area on Tuesday around 1:30 p.m. and located the baby shortly after arriving on the scene.
According to Mayor Raymond Coles, the infant was unresponsive and EMS attempted to resuscitate the child, to no avail. The baby was transported to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood and pronounced dead, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer confirmed.
A cause of death for the infant, who was not identified, was unclear as of Wednesday morning. Police have not yet specified whether the baby suffered a medical episode or was involved in some other sort of incident. The victim could have also died from heat — despite the chilly weather outside, temperatures inside a vehicle can spike within minutes if windows are not left open.
No other details were immediately available.
A large law enforcement presence lingered on the scene, a neighborhood packed with houses and apartments, well into Tuesday night. The vehicle involved, a a Toyota Sienna, was cordoned off for most of the day and later seen being towed from its parking spot just before 5 p.m.
Billhimer said an investigation into the matter is ongoing.