Authorities in Texas have charged a 36-year-old Nigerian woman, Gbemisola Akayinode, with felony murder following the death of her nine-year-old daughter, Oluwasikemi, who was left inside a parked vehicle for several hours in sweltering heat.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office confirmed her arrest on Monday, with Sheriff Ed Gonzalez announcing that the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined the child’s death was a homicide caused by hyperthermia, a condition resulting from extreme body overheating.
“Today, our Homicide Detectives and Violent Criminal Apprehension Team arrested Gbemisola G. Akayinode for the murder of her nine-year-old daughter,” Sheriff Gonzalez stated on X (formerly Twitter). “The child’s death has been ruled a homicide as a result of hyperthermia. She is charged with felony murder and booked into the Harris County Jail.”
Court documents revealed that emergency responders were called to an industrial complex on Mayo Shell Road in Galena Park, near Houston, on July 1, after reports that a child had been left unattended inside a vehicle. The girl was taken to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigations show that Akayinode arrived at work around 5:45 a.m., leaving her daughter in the car with food, bottled water, ice cubes, and a rechargeable fan. She reportedly administered melatonin to help the girl sleep and partially lowered the rear windows before heading into her workplace.
When she returned at about 1:53 p.m., the child was unresponsive. Paramedics attempted CPR but were unable to revive her.
According to court filings, the child remained inside the vehicle for over eight hours as outdoor temperatures reached 99°F (37°C).
Akayinode allegedly told detectives she could not afford childcare until her next paycheck, though investigators later learned that her supervisor had been helping her cover daycare costs.
Local station KHOU 11 reported that Akayinode initially blamed the death on prescribed ADHD medication before later admitting she had given her daughter melatonin the night before and again that morning.
Investigators also found that she had placed a sunshade on the car’s windshield, making it difficult for anyone passing by to notice the child inside.
The case has reignited concerns over the rising number of child deaths linked to overheated vehicles in Texas.
Authorities say four children died in similar incidents within the first two weeks of July alone.
Akayinode remains in custody at the Harris County Jail pending her next court appearance.