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1-Year-Old Locked in Hot Car Dies After Dad REFUSES to Bust Windows in His New Car

He was convicted of a misdemeanor, sentenced to 1-year behind bars

By Criminal MattersPublished 4 years ago Updated 4 years ago 3 min read

Wow. This case is very sad. I am truly at a loss for words. So, guess I will just say, Rest easy, baby Sayah.

In 2020, a Las Vegas man was charged with the death of his 1-year-old daughter after he locked her inside a hot car, then REFUSED help from several people because he was afraid of the costs of repairs to the windshield and to hire a locksmith.

Las Vegas police charged 27-year-old Sidney Deal with the felony crime of child abuse leading to substantial bodily harm after Sayah passed away.

Sayah Locked Inside Hot Car

Deal quickly flagged police down on October 4th after locking his daughter, Sayah, inside the vehicle after an argument with his girlfriend. Police offered to bust out the window, but Deal insisted the girl was fine and that he had the A/C running inside the car. He did not want the police to bust the window because he had just purchased the car and was afraid that he could not afford the repair costs.

Temperatures outside that day reached 96 degrees. In just 10 minutes, temperatures inside the car can reach 115 degrees and in 30 minutes, 130 degrees.

Deal’s girlfriend called the insurance company who offered to send a tow truck to the scene to help unlock the car and free the baby, but Deal refused the help after he was told the cost of the service.

Police officers offered to call a locksmith but he again refused and called his brother. His brother offered to come bust out the window but Deal again refused the offer.

“Sidney insisted he not damage his new vehicle, stating he had just bought the car and did not have the money to repair a broken window.”

The girlfriend told police Deal returned a few minutes after their argument.

“My son was not negligent the way he handled it,” said Artavia Wilson, Deal’s mother.

After nearly one hour, police took action and finally broke the window of the Altima to free the little girl. It was too late; Sayah was dead. Her body had already began to enter rigor mortis by this point.

Deal Sentenced to 1-Year in Jail

Deal pleaded guilty under an Alford plea to misdemeanor child abuse, neglect, or endangerment in July 2021. Under his guilty plea, he admits that prosecutors had enough evidence to find him guilty, but does not admit guilt. Under the plea agreement, Deal will serve no more than 11 months, 29-days in the Clark County Jail. He must also pay a fine of $2,000.

I only wonder why the police did not break the damn window out of his car and get the little girl out before an hour had passed and she had died? Since when do cops listen to civilians about ANYTHING?

As for the man, I’m sure he did not think his daughter would die but here we are. If your child is locked inside a hot car, bust the damn windows. If that means duct taping plastic over the window until you can afford the repair, so fucking be it. Sayah would still be here and Deal could manage riding around like that for a few weeks or months.

Deal will be out of jail in six months if he has not already been released. In my opinion, he deserved longer than a sentence of one year behind bars. Though he did not intend to kill his daughter, he did. So much for valuing the life of other people.

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He’ll be out of jail in six months if he is not out already. So much for valuing the life of others. Rest easy, sweet girl.

guilty

About the Creator

Criminal Matters

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