HINESVILLE, Ga. (WSAV) – Multiple agencies are investigating the tragic death of two toddlers who were found dead inside a car on Sunday afternoon.
Police have since identified the victims as 3-year-old girls Raelynn and Payton Keyes.
According to the Hinesville Police Department, officers were called to a home on the 200 block of Augusta Way in the Griffin Park subdivision shortly after 1:30 p.m. Sunday. When they arrived, officers found the two children unresponsive inside a vehicle located in the backyard of the home.
Detectives confirmed a caregiver found the children and made the call to police.
“This is actually not the home of the caregiver or the children, this is someplace they come from time to time and do stay for extended periods of time and they were here visiting when this unfortunate tragedy took place,” Capt. Tracey Howard with the Hinesville Police Department said.
Authorities say the girls were staying with two caregivers and two of their other siblings.
Meanwhile, investigators say they are still working to track down their parents.
Neighbors like Onesha Forrest are still reeling from the news.
“I wouldn’t know what to do if something like that happened to me. I’d probably lose my mind,” she said. Forrest, whose daughter is the same age, said she knows firsthand how curious kids can be.
“Sad to say, but always keep an eye on your child,” she added. “At the end of the day, it’s your responsibility to make sure they’re safe.”
Detectives say it’s still unclear how the children got inside of the car. Pending autopsy results, the twins could be the 45th and 46th children to die in hot cars this year.
Hinesville Police and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation continue to investigate.
