In a heartbreaking incident in São Paulo, Brazil, a two-year-old boy named Apollo Rodrigues tragically lost his life after being left inside an overheated school van.
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The driver and attendant, who is also the driver’s wife, forgot to drop him off at daycare, and he was discovered unconscious around 3:30 pm after nearly nine hours in the sweltering vehicle on a scorching 99.8-degree day.
The driver, Flávio Robson, 45, and his assistant, Luciana Coelho, 44, rushed Apollo to Vereador José Storopolli Municipal Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The devastating incident led to the arrest of Robson and Coelho on intentional homicide charges. After appearing in court, they were granted provisional release as they await legal proceedings.
Under court terms, they are prohibited from working in school transport services for children, must surrender their driver’s license, and adhere to strict curfew hours.
They are barred from contacting witnesses, the victim’s family, and traveling outside São Paulo for extended periods.
Civil Police investigators believe the intense heat inside the van may have contributed to the boy’s tragic death.
São Paulo experienced record-breaking temperatures, reaching 99.8 Fahrenheit on Tuesday and rising to 104 Fahrenheit on Wednesday.
Apollo’s mother, Kaliane Rodrigues, shared her heart-wrenching experience, recalling how her son cried, not wanting to go to daycare on that fateful day. Coelho, who usually ensured Apollo sat in the front of the bus, inadvertently placed him in the back, leading to this devastating outcome.
Kaliane sensed something was wrong when Apollo didn’t return from daycare. Her anguish and disbelief intensified, emphasizing the difficulty of leaving her son, thinking he was safe, only to face this unimaginable tragedy.
Coelho, reportedly suffering from a migraine headache, mentioned it might have affected her attention span during this unfortunate incident.
Apollo Rodrigues was found lying down on the second-to-last bench in the bus, marking a profound loss that has left the community in mourning.
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