LONG BEACH, Miss.- Two officers are on paid administrative leave after a child was found dead in a car on Friday, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
The two officers have been identified as Cassie Barker, the mother, and Clark Ladner. The child’s father, Ryan Hyer, was not involved in the incident as he now lives in Florida.
Hancock county authorities said that 3-year-old Cheyenne Hyer was left unattended in a car on Friday.
The Hancock County Coroner Jim Faulk said he believes the child died due to high temperatures and heat exposure, however, an official autopsy will be done to determine what exactly lead to her death.
Her mother, who is an officer with the Long Beach Police Department, is on leave along with Ladner.
If confirmed, this would be the third child death in 2016 for Mississippi due to being left in a hot vehicle. Chief Deputy Don Bass said that the car was running when the child was found but it is unknown whether the air conditioning was on.
He also told local media “I’m not tiptoeing around it, but we just started the interviews this morning, and I’m not aware of what his interview has consisted of as far as that question,” Bass said. “She was there visiting him. I can’t speculate on anything more.”
Bass said when the mother arrived at the scene she was extremely distraught and not able to speak to authorities.
Cheyenne was taken to a hospital but pronounced dead by an emergency room doctor.
No charges have been filed at this time and an investigation is ongoing.
