Mother Arrested Following Discovery of Two Deceased Children in Overheated Car: Sheriff

A mother from Texas is currently in custody after her two children were discovered unconscious in a hot car on a blistering late summer day and subsequently declared deceased, according to police reports.

Tiona Lasaisha Islar, aged 28, is facing two charges of injury to a child concerning 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 Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the children as Miyani Islar and Sevani Stevenson.

Sheriff Javier Salazar shared with reporters during a press conference that deputies were dispatched around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to the 7000 block of Chancery Gate following a report of unconscious children. Upon arrival, the first deputy on the scene attempted “to perform CPR on both children simultaneously,” but sadly, they were declared dead at the scene.

Deputies took Islar in for questioning.

Islar informed detectives that she brought the children inside the house around 10 a.m. on Saturday, assuming they returned to the car of their own accord, where she found them unconscious around 3 p.m., according to Salazar. She stated that she then brought the children back inside before placing a 911 call.

However, deputies are skeptical of her series of events.

“There are just some inconsistencies with the story being given,” Salazar said.

The temperature in the San Antonio area on Saturday was in the low 90s.

She was taken into custody at approximately 7 p.m. on Saturday. Salazar mentioned that police had previously visited the residence, with Child Protective Services having been involved due to concerns of child neglect. He did not provide further details on the previous incident.

An injury to a child charge is a second-degree felony, which is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a $10,000 fine.

Islar is currently in the Bexar County Jail on a $300,000 bond.