Daughter Dies Inside Hot Car After Cheap Dad Refused to Smash Window, Cops Say

Storm Gifford of The New York Daily News wrote:A Nevada man placed money over his dying daughter’s life.

Cops say Las Vegas dad Sidney Deal was more concerned about the cost of a broken car window than his 1-year-old girl locked inside the vehicle on a hot afternoon.

After Deal allegedly locked his keys in the car where his daughter Sayah was trapped, he declined assistance from his brother and police to break the window to his new vehicle because he feared he wouldn’t be able to afford the damage cost, reported the Las Vegas Sun.

Deal attempted to downplay the severity of the situation by claiming Sayah was fine with the air conditioner on despite a high temperature of a scorching-hot 98º on Monday, according to AccuWeather.

Deal’s partner was in contact with an insurance company representative who offered to send a tow truck during the ordeal, but he told her to end the call because the tow cost was too steep, according to the arrest report.

Cops claim that Sayah was in a “high heat environment” for about an hour and was dead when officers eventually smashed the window.

“The dad said that the (air conditioner) was on and the kid was playing, and when the officers arrived they saw that she was breathing,” explained police spokesman Larry Hadfield. “But when the officers got concerned for the child’s well-being, they broke the window.”

It wasn’t evident how long Sayah was in the car, but cops believe it was for over one hour, according to the police report.

Her little body apparently had settled into rigor mortis, according to police.

Deal said the girl, who wasn’t in a safety seat, was walking on the backseat and eventually laid down on the floor for what he thought was a nap, said cops.

On Tuesday, a group of nearly 100 well-wishers came out to show support for the deceased child.

“Long live Sayah!” they shouted while releasing balloons into the air, reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The congregants also created a memorial with candles, flowers and stuffed animals while praying for her family.

Deal was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on one count of child abuse or neglect causing substantial bodily harm, according to jail logs.

He is being held on a $20,000 bond, according to the Sun.