Father arrested in death of child left in car
in Collin County

MELISSA, TX  –  Authorities have arrested a father after his 6-month-old daughter was found unresponsive Tuesday afternoon outside their Melissa home.

According to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, authorities were alerted at about 1:30 p.m. that an infant was left alone in a vehicle in the 1400 block of Milrany Lane in Melissa.

Authorities released few details but confirmed the child died and that her father, 33-year-old Michael Thedford, was arrested.

Thedford was charged with manslaughter and is being held on a $20,000 bond.

Fabiola Contreras lives across the street from the home.  She said she immediately noticed all the commotion as first responders arrived at the scene.

“I saw the ambulance come first,” Contreras said. “I just saw them rush into the house.”

Officials with the Collin County Sheriffs Department says the child was unresponsive when deputies arrived at the scene.

Contreras says detectives spent some time with Thedford in the front part of the home and had him retrace his steps.

“Before we knew it, he was walking outside with handcuffs,” she said.

The cause of the child’s death is under investigation.  Deputies were told the child was left in the car but it hasn’t been revealed for how long.

According to KidsandCars.org, 16 children have died in hot car related deaths nationwide this year.  That’s more than double the number of 7 at the same time last year.

Tuesday’s death was the third this year in Texas, according to the organization.