Two children die in Detroit cold while sleeping in van, police say

Two children in Detroit died of suspected exposure to the cold after being found unresponsive in the van where the family was living Monday, police said.

The children, ages 2 and 9, were discovered not breathing by their mother at around noon, Detroit police Capt. Nathan Duda said. They were separately taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead, he said.

The mother had parked the van at a casino parking garage at around 1 a.m. Monday, and the vehicle ran out of gas sometime thereafter, Duda told reporters in a video released by the police department.

The tragedy happened as Detroit had temperatures of around 12 degrees early Monday morning, with wind chills of 6 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

The mother first realized one child was not breathing and called a family member to take the child to a hospital, Duda said. She then realized a second child was not breathing and called the family member back, the captain said.

“And so that person conveyed both children to Children’s Hospital, where they were pronounced deceased, with the early indicator being that they froze to death,” he said.

Three other children survived. There is an open investigation by the police department, Duda said.

“It has to be [investigated],” Duda said. “I don’t think anyone really wants to think about that at the moment with the two children passed, but the reality is that the circumstances do have to be examined. We have to figure out how to go forward.”

Duda said the situation was sad, especially as father. “I just can’t imagine what the family is feeling,” he said.

Duda urged people to avail themselves to resources like shelters, churches or other facilities set up to help. He also said people who see others in need during the cold should call 911.

“We’ll show up with all the right people to be able to offer resources, to transport, to feed, to clothe, to give that person shelter,” Duda said. “We do care.”