8-Month-Old Girl Dies After Being Left in Hot Car While Dad Was Getting Arrested, Police Say

Davied Japez McCorry Whatley, 20, is now charged with the murder of his infant daughter Nova Grace Whatley-Trejo — because police say he never mentioned the girl had been left there.

According to Snellville Police Department, McCorry entered the lobby of the police station shortly after 2:15 PM on Tuesday to retrieve a firearm that had been confiscated.

As is procedure, officers ran a background check to make sure they weren't handing a gun to a convicted felon; indeed they learned that McCorry had a warrant out for a probation violation, related to a hit-and-run with no insurance. So he was then arrested and taken to Gwinnett County jail.

He would be released on bond hours later. What police say they didn't know was that his baby daughter had been left outside in his car the entire time.

"He made no statements as to the fact that his daughter was left in the car, two buildings away from the Snellville Police Department," Detective Jeff Manely told a press conference.

"He was in the presence of our officers for over 40 minutes, recorded on dash cam and body cam. He made no statements that the child was present."

"We have him on video from the time he walked into this lobby, to the time we transported him to Gwinnett County Detention Center and released him to sheriff's deputies there. He was on video the entire time," he reiterated, "he never made a statement that that child was in the car."

Police only learned of the death after the little girl's grandmother turned up with her at Piedmont Eastside Emergency Room at 10PM. The child was pronounced dead.

The grandmother told hospital staff the baby had been left in her dad's car after he was pulled over for a traffic stop; police say this is untrue.

"There was no traffic stop whatsoever," Detective Manely said. "That did not happen."

Investigators say Whatley informed the grandmother at some stage that his daughter was in the car, and she retrieved her.

When police were notified of the death, they say they found Whatley's car parked near the dumpsters at the Snellville City Hall, Fox5 reported.

After bonding out on the initial charge on Tuesday night, Whatley was re-arrested on Wednesday morning, charged with second-degree murder.

"I'm absolutely astounded someone could leave an 8-month-old in the car, park away from our building and walk up here knowing that child was in the car," Detective Manely told reporters.

An investigation is ongoing.