Cousin charged in infant's heat death

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By Joel Provano

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jennifer Peacock, the cousin of a 5-month-old girl who died after being left in a hot car for five hours, was released on bond Friday after being charged in the child's death, authorities said.

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Cobb County Sheriff's Office Jennifer Peacock

Infant left in car dies

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The 21-year-old Kennesaw woman posted bail “just in excess of $27,000” and was released from Cobb County Jail, a county sheriff's spokesman said.

Peacock was charged with involuntary manslaughter and second-degree cruelty to children, said Officer Scott Luther, spokesman for Kennesaw police.

The infant girl, whose name has not been released, was left in a parked car for five hours May 25 when Peacock apparently forgot the child was asleep in a car seat when she went to work at the Ivy Hall Day School on Tuscan Heights Boulevard, police said.

"Several hours later, the baby was found unresponsive inside the car and after attempts to revive her, she was pronounced deceased at the incident location," Luther said.

The high temperature in Kennesaw that afternoon was 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Experts said the temperature inside the car could have reached 135 degrees in time the baby was in the car.