Forney daycare worker charged after 5-year-old child left on bus on 102-degree August day, police say

A Forney daycare worker faces a state charge after police say she left a 5-year-old child locked inside a bus for nearly two hours on a day when temperatures reached 102 degrees. The child was later hospitalized for dehydration.

Jessica Deneen Smith-Ward, 37, of Forney, is charged with child endangerment, according to the Forney Police Department.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the charge stems from an Aug. 14 incident at Arka Montessori in Forney, where investigators allege a child identified by the pseudonym "Kayla," described as younger than 15, was left locked inside a day care bus in extreme heat.

Police say Smith-Ward picked up children from Lewis Elementary, returned to the day care at 3:48 p.m., and recorded that Kayla had gotten off the bus, initialing the bus log. The child, however, never made it to her classroom, the affidavit said.

Surveillance video showed the bus arriving at 3:48 p.m. and Kayla being removed at 5:41 p.m., meaning she was aboard for about 1 hour and 53 minutes.

Kayla's mother told police the child was found crying and knocking on a bus window, covered in sweat and complaining of a headache and dizziness. She was taken to Baylor Scott & White in Forney, treated for dehydration, and given an IV. Hospital paperwork also listed a diagnosis of a urinary tract infection.

During an Aug. 19 forensic interview, Kayla said she had been asleep with her Peppa Pig backpack, became trapped on the bus, was sweaty and had a red face, and called for her mother.

"Kayla stated she was calling for her mommy, but she didn't answer," the affidavit said, noting the temperature reached 102 degrees that day.

Cadeisha Mason, Arka Montessori's child care director, told police drivers are supposed to walk to the rear of the bus and press and hold a red safety button for about five seconds before exiting and locking the vehicle. Kayla was reportedly seated near that button.

Mason's statement said Smith-Ward "forgot to check each seat, leaving a child unattended on the bus."

Mason told investigators that bus drivers use a paper log to record when children board and exit the bus, while classroom teachers use a separate electronic attendance system. On Aug. 14, Smith-Ward documented that Kayla boarded Bus No. 4 at 3:32 p.m. and exited at 3:48 p.m.

However, Mason said Kayla never reached her classroom and was never marked present. Classroom teachers did not have access to the bus logs, Mason said, so they did not know Kayla had been picked up. The day care has since implemented a system that cross-references the bus and classroom logs.

Smith-Ward was not interviewed because she had retained legal representation, the affidavit said.

CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.