A 5-year-old Arizona boy died after being left inside a hot vehicle for more than two hours while his family was hosting a gathering at their home.
Theo Sabo returned home with his family around 1 p.m. Sunday after attending a baptism. The family was hosting about 50 relatives and friends when, more than two and a half hours later, they realized Theo was missing. He was then found unresponsive inside the family’s car outside the home.
Temperatures in the area reached about 106 degrees that day. CPR was performed before Theo was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Theo’s parents, Mihail Sabo, 50, and Anca Sabo, 45, have been charged with negligent homicide and child abuse. Both appeared in separate court hearings and were each given a $150,000 bond. They were also barred from contacting each other but were permitted supervised visits with their other children.
The case has also raised questions about what happened after the family arrived home. Mihail told police that he asked his 14-year-old son to get Theo out of the vehicle. The teenager told investigators that his father never asked him to do so.
During the court proceedings, the family’s defense attorney described the death as a tragedy and argued that the criminal charges were not warranted. Prosecutors, however, emphasized that Theo had remained in the vehicle for more than two and a half hours while his parents were unaware of where he was.
Anca was visibly emotional during her hearing and pleaded with the judge to allow her to see her other children. The couple’s attorney said they had immediately called 911 and attempted life-saving measures after finding Theo.
The investigation remains ongoing. Mihail and Anca are scheduled to return to court on September 21, while prosecutors have declined to comment further because the cases are still pending.