Infant Son Left in Car by UCI Professor Dies

Authorities did not release the father's name, but several law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, and neighbors identified him as Mark J. Warschauer, 49, vice chair of the university's Department of Education and an associate professor of information and computer technology.

"He arrived on campus about 8:30 a.m., parked, locked the car and went in," said Lt. Jeff Love, a spokesman for the Irvine Police Department. "About noon he saw a commotion around the car, came out and learned that he'd left the child in there. Apparently he didn't realize it."

The child, whose family called him Mikey, was discovered by passersby in the four-door vehicle parked in a lot adjacent to the university's education department in the 400 block of Berkeley Avenue, where Warschauer works, shortly before noon. They notified campus police officers, who shattered the car's rear right window and removed the boy. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

"It's a terrible, terrible event," Love said. "Really bad. Our investigators are looking into it. Obviously a child died, so there could be criminal charges of child endangerment."

Love said an autopsy will be performed next week.

"Based on the autopsy, I think we'll know by next week if there will be child endangerment charges," he said.

It is not unusual for charges to be filed in such cases. Late last month, a Lancaster day-care operator pleaded not guilty to child-abuse charges after two of her foster sons died of heat exposure when they were left unattended for hours in her car. A Fontana man was arrested on suspicion of murder last year after his 3-year-old daughter died in his van where he had allegedly left her in 102-degree heat. Also that year, a Simi Valley mother was ordered to serve a year in county jail after pleading no contest to leaving her two young sons, who died, in a sweltering minivan while she lay asleep after drinking some wine.

The father in the Irvine case was questioned by police Friday, Love said, but not arrested. People at his home on Harvey Court near the campus declined to comment Friday, as did university officials.