Texas father charged with capital murder after toddler dies in hot car, police say

A Midland man is facing a capital murder charge after police say he left his 2‑year‑old daughter inside a sweltering vehicle for hours while he slept.

Lorenzo Elias Rodriguez, 25, remains in the Midland County Jail on a $1.5 million bond, according to jail records.

Police said Rodriguez had been drinking heavily the night before. His brother and sister‑in‑law went to his home in the 100 block of East Pecan Avenue on Sunday to check on him and the child. After knocking repeatedly with no response, the couple went to the west side of the house, removed a window air‑conditioning unit, and climbed inside.

They found Rodriguez asleep around 8 a.m., roughly nine hours after he had gone to bed, police said.

After waking him, the couple searched the home but could not find the child. They ran outside and found her inside a black Kia that was not running. They broke a window to reach her and took her to Midland Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Following an investigation, police charged Rodriguez with capital murder.

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