A Texas father is facing a capital murder charge after authorities say his young daughter was left inside a locked car for nearly 10 hours while he slept following a night of drinking.
Lorenzo Rodriguez, 25, of Midland, was arrested Sunday after family members found his 2-year-old daughter, Luciana Madeline Rodriguez, unresponsive in his locked, non-running black Kia, the Midland Police Department said.
Investigators allege the child remained inside the dangerously hot vehicle for about nine hours as Rodriguez slept after drinking the night before.
Luciana was pronounced dead soon after she was removed from the car, which police said had been sitting in nearly 100-degree heat, according to weather data.
Following a preliminary investigation, police said they found evidence that led to Rodriguez being charged with capital murder, the most severe criminal charge under Texas law.
The case unfolded shortly before 8 p.m., when Midland officers were called to the 100 block of East Pecan Avenue after a report of an unresponsive toddler locked inside a vehicle.
Rodriguez’s brother and sister-in-law, who discovered the girl and contacted authorities, provided investigators with an initial statement at the scene.
They told police they had gone to Rodriguez’s home to check on him and Luciana after learning he had been drinking the previous night and was intoxicated.
Family members discovered his two-year-old Luciana unresponsive inside his locked, non-running black Kia, according to police
She had allegedly been left inside the sweltering vehicle for around nine hours while Rodriguez slept off a night of drinking inside the home
Police said the pair repeatedly knocked on the door with no response before resorting to the west side of the home, where they ‘removed an air-conditioning unit’ and forced their way in.
Inside, they found Rodriguez asleep and woke him around 8pm – only to learn he had been sleeping for roughly nine hours, since about 11am.
After searching the home and failing to find Luciana, family members went outside and spotted her inside Rodriguez’s black Kia, which had been left turned off.
The relatives smashed a window to reach the toddler, pulled her from the locked vehicle and called 911 moments later, according to investigators.
She was rushed to Midland Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Police said evidence gathered during the investigation resulted in Rodriguez being arrested and booked into the Midland County Detention Center on a $1.5 million bond.
On Facebook, Rodriguez had previously shared several posts featuring and mentioning his daughter, including one from April that read: ‘Long as my kid love my I couldn’t care less who don’t.’
Another post read: ‘Been WORKING on MYSELF cuz my KIDS deserve a HEALED PARENT.’
Lorenzo Rodriguez, 25, of Midland, Texas, was arrested Sunday and charged with capital murder in connection with the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Luciana Madeline Rodriguez
The tragic discovery was made just before 8pm, when police responded to reports of an unresponsive toddler inside a car on the 100 block of East Pecan Avenue
Family members ‘removed an air-conditioning unit’ and forced their way inside to Rodriguez’s home, only to learn he had been sleeping for roughly nine hours
‘I gotta win for my kid, that’s all I ever think about,’ said another.
In August 2025, Rodriguez shared a series of five photos with Luciana, writing alongside them: ‘Just me and my princess.’
Among the photos, one appeared to show Rodriguez playing with Luciana in a pool, while others showed him pushing her on a swing.
Two other images showed Rodriguez holding his daughter, including one where Luciana appeared to smile as she clung to his neck.
On Sunday, weather data showed temperatures in Midland, Texas, reached as high as 99 degrees.
In those conditions, the inside of a vehicle can soar above 130 degrees within minutes and reach 150 degrees or more, according to the National Weather Service.
The inside of a locked car can quickly become deadly for children and pets, with temperatures jumping 20 degrees in just 10 minutes and climbing above 130 degrees Fahrenheit within 30 minutes.
In Texas, a killing can be classified as capital murder when it involves certain aggravating circumstances, including the death of a child under 10 or a killing committed during another felony such as kidnapping or robbery.
If convicted, Rodriguez faces one of two possible sentences: the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole
On Facebook, Rodriguez had previously shared several posts featuring and mentioning his daughter
If convicted, Rodriguez faces one of two possible sentences: the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Midland Police Department and Luciana’s mother for comment.
