A tight-knit South Texas community is grieving the tragic death of a 4-year-old boy, Logan Urbina, who died after being left inside a hot daycare van in sweltering temperatures. The heartbreaking incident occurred on Friday at The Learning Club Pre School, located at 3900 Paredes Line Road, Suite D, in Brownsville.
Local authorities say Logan was found unresponsive in the daycare’s transport van, where he had been left for an extended period. According to CBS affiliate SVEO, police have arrested two employees of the daycare in connection with the child’s death. Karen Silva, 36, has been charged with injury to a child causing death, a second-degree felony.
She was issued a $10,000 bond. The second suspect, Sendy Ruiz, 38, was also arrested and arraigned on the same charge. She was given a $60,000 bond. Both women were reportedly responsible for operating the daycare van on the day of the incident.
Abril Luna, Public Information Officer for the Brownsville Police Department, confirmed that both Silva and Ruiz were employed by The Learning Club Pre School at the time of Logan’s death.
“These two individuals were the last known to have operated the daycare van that transported the children,” Luna stated during a press briefing. Authorities believe that the child was inadvertently left behind after the van arrived at the daycare facility.
The investigation is ongoing, with police working to establish a detailed timeline of events. Questions remain about how the van was checked after drop-off and why safety protocols — if in place — failed to prevent this devastating oversight.
In the wake of the tragedy, community members have expressed shock and heartbreak. A small memorial has been set up near the entrance of the daycare, with flowers, teddy bears, and handwritten notes left in Logan’s memory.
The Learning Club Pre School has not yet released a public statement regarding the incident or the arrests of its staff members. As the investigation continues, calls for stricter regulations and safety procedures in child transportation services are growing louder across the state.
This incident highlights the dangerous and often fatal consequences of leaving a child in a hot vehicle, particularly during the scorching Texas summer. Authorities are urging daycare centers and parents alike to remain vigilant and to double-check all vehicles to prevent similar tragedies. Meanwhile, the Brownsville community continues to mourn the loss of a young life taken far too soon.