Infant dies after being left in Florida day care center van for 5 hours, daycare co-owner charged

The co-owner of a Jacksonville day care center is accused of child neglect after an infant was found dead inside a day care center van.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office responded to a call in the 5800 block of Lenox Avenue. According to deputies, the infant girl was found in the van at about 1 p.m., about five hours after the van was used to pick up children. According to JSO, the child was still strapped in her car seat in the third row of the van when she was found.

Deputies arrested 56-year-old Darryl Ewing for the infant's death. He is the co-owner of the day care center.

"Some local and national media are reporting the mother located the infant child in the daycare van. This is not accurate or true," the sheriff's office said. "A daycare worker located the child in the van."

Jacksonville firefighters reportedly tried to revive the baby and took her to the hospital, but she could not be saved.

The center cares for about 14 children, authorities say.

Deputies say Ewing, who was the sole driver of the van that day, was responsible for maintaining a separate driver's log that documented all children that were placed onto the van. They say Ewing logged two of the victim's siblings but not the victim, which directly contributed to the child's death.