Cops: As He Was Arrested, His Baby Died in His Car

Davied Japez McCorry Whatley went to the Snellville Police Department on Tuesday afternoon to pick up a gun police had in their possession. Upon running the standard background check before releasing the firearm to him, police discovered there was a warrant out for the Georgia 20-year-old's arrest for probation violation, and he was arrested and taken to Gwinnett County Jail. The whole time, police say, his 8-month-old daughter was in the backseat of his parked car, and Whatley never mentioned that fact to officers, Fox 5 reports. At some point, he contacted his grandmother, who then went to the car and found the unresponsive infant, CNN reports. She took the baby to the hospital, where the infant was pronounced dead. The temperature in the area reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit that day.

Whatley was released on bond in the probation violation case Tuesday night, but was arrested in his daughter's death the following morning. He is now charged with second-degree murder in her death. Officers say his car was parked near the dumpsters at Snellville City Hall. "I'm absolutely astounded someone could leave an 8-month-old in the car, park away from our building and walk up here knowing that child was in the car," a detective told reporters. (More Georgia stories.)