A 13-month-old died of hyperthermia Tuesday because his grandmother purposely left him in a car — with the heater running and the temperature inside exceeding 100 degrees — for several hours

According to Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, Shadoe Braxton Pate was in the care of his grandmother while his mother was at work.

The grandmother, Barbara Michelle Pemberton, 47, of Chickamauga, went to a friend’s residence at 42 Circle Drive in Rossville, off North Jenkins Road, in the Fairview community. Pemberton arrived at the residence about 10:30 a.m. and stayed for about 5½ hours visiting with friends, Wilson said.

Pemberton left the child in her vehicle, a 2005 Ford Focus, in direct sunlight with the engine and heater running. The outside temperature was about 52 degrees, but the temperature inside the vehicle reached more than 100 degrees.The infant was pronounced dead on arrival at Hutcheson Medical Center in Fort Oglethorpe.

The grandmother has not been charged but could be, pending outcome of the investigation.

The grandmother and the couple began CPR on the child when he was unresponsive. When emergency responders arrived, they continued CPR until they arrived at Hutcheson Medical Center, where the child was pronounced dead.

Wilson said bodily fluids were taken of Pemberton and it will take six to eight weeks to know if anything was in her system at the time of the child’s death.

Wilson said there was not outward evidence that she was impaired.

(Walker County Messenger)