Father charged after baby left alone inside vehicle dies in Lakewood Township, New Jersey

LAKEWOOD, N.J. (WPVI) -- A 35-year-old father has been charged in connection with the death of his baby who was left alone inside a vehicle.

The baby was found around 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday in the area of 5th Street in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.

Medics took the four-month-old boy to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities say Moshe Ehrlich surrendered to police on Thursday.

He was charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child and taken to Ocean County Jail.

It was 59 degrees in Lakewood Tuesday afternoon at the time of the incident.

"The inside of vehicles heat up about 20 degrees in just ten minutes, regardless of what the temperature is outside," said Amy Artuso, director of mobility safety programs at the National Safety Council.

She says children are more vulnerable to heat inside vehicles, pointing out that a child's body heats up three to five times faster than adults.

The circumstances of this incident remain under investigation.

Last July, an 8-week-old baby girl died after being left in a hot car. Her father, Avraham Chaitovsky, was charged.

Artuso says all caregivers should be educated on the risks of leaving children in cars.

"We always encourage drivers to lock their vehicles before walking away and making a habit of always checking the backseat," she said.