A mother from Texas is currently in custody after her two children were discovered unconscious in a hot car during a particularly hot late summer day. The children were later declared dead, according to local law enforcement. Tiona Lasaisha Islar, 28, is facing two charges of injury to a child following the deaths of her 6-year-old son, who had autism, and her 3-year-old daughter, as reported by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office in San Antonio. The children were identified as Miyani Islar and Sevani Stevenson by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Sheriff Javier Salazar informed the press that his deputies were called to the 7000 block of Chancery Gate around 3:30 p.m. on a Saturday, responding to a report of unconscious children. Upon arrival, the first deputy on the scene attempted to perform CPR on both children, but unfortunately, both were declared dead. Islar was subsequently taken in for questioning by the deputies.
Islar informed detectives that she had brought the children into the house around 10 a.m. that Saturday. She believed that the children had returned to the car on their own, where she later discovered them unconscious around 3 p.m. She then brought the children back into the house before dialing 911. However, deputies have expressed doubts about her account of the events. “There are just some inconsistencies with the story being given,” Salazar stated.
The temperature in the San Antonio area on that Saturday was in the low 90s. Islar was arrested around 7 p.m. that same day. Salazar mentioned that police had previously visited the home in response to concerns about child neglect raised by Child Protective Services. He did not provide further details about the previous incident.
A charge of injury to a child is considered a second-degree felony in Texas. If convicted, Islar could face a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of $10,000. Islar is currently being held in the Bexar County Jail on a $300,000 bond.