While police were investigating the death of a 13-month-old boy found inside a school van, city officials were looking into a day care connected to the fatality.
The boy was found inside a van parked in front of Gloria Luna’s Family Day Care, which was shut down yesterday by city officials due to multiple violations and lack of proper permits, the Boston Globe reported.
Officers responded to an emergency call about 3:30 p.m. and found the boy in the passenger van parked on Floyd Street, police said. It was unclear how long he was left inside the van.
“We don’t know how long, but it was a significant amount of time,” said Police Commissioner Ed Davis.
When officers arrived at the scene they found the boy inside and unresponsive. Medical personnel pronounced the boy dead at the scene.
The driver of the van was found outside of it when police arrived. He was taken to a hospital with chest pains, police said.
Davis said the van driver was the husband of the woman who runs the day care. It was unclear if the boy attended the day care or should have been transported to another facility.
According to state Executive Office of Education, the day care has a capacity of 10 and was first licensed in 2002. Its license was renewed in June and it charges $150 per week, according to the state.
Neighbors said they were saddened by the fatality.
“It should be mandatory they check the buses,” said Ebony Smith, who was standing outside the scene. “I don’t understand how they can not see a child on the bus.”
A woman who answered the phone at the day care referred questions to police, according to the Globe.
