A New York cop was placed on paid administrative leave after his son died after he had left him in a car parked outside of his home for a “long time,” according to investigators.
Chief Deputy Sheriff Jon Owens told WKTV that it’s too early to tell if the death of Michael Fanfarillo, son of Rome Patrol Officer Mark Fanfarillo, was attributed to heat, although temperatures in Oneida County neared 80 degrees Monday.
Fanfarillo is said to be the one who discovered his son dead in his vehicle at 4:40 p.m., which was when he called 911. Michael was pronounced dead at Rome City Hospital after being rushed there by emergency personnel.
No charges have been filed, but Owens stated investigators would consult with the district attorney’s office to decide if Fanfarillo would be charged at a later date after the investigation unfolds.
“Why he left the baby in there, that’s all part of the investigation,” Owens stated. “But, yes, he was the one responsible for the baby at the time there, and he left the child in there for an extended period of time.”
Deputy Owens claims it’s too early in the investigation to speculate about what happened and said he can’t say if the death was accidental. Owens stated he did not know how long Michael was left in the car. It’s unclear whether Michael was left in a personal vehicle or a patrol car.
The Rome Police Department is not part of the investigation, according to WKTV.
Rome Police Chief Kevin Beach said Fanfarillo was a 10-year veteran “in good standing.”
“As a police family, we have experienced a terrible tragedy,” he said.
An autopsy was scheduled for June 7 and the cause of death was to be determined by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner.
Results of the autopsy have not yet been made public.
Dozens of children die each year across the United States after being left in hot cars by their parents, according to the site, No Heat Stroke that monitors these incidents, including 11 so far this year.
And 20 states have laws against leaving children unattended in cars, but not New York.
Two days after the death of baby Fanfarillo, another baby died after being left unattended in a car in Louisiana, which does have such a law, resulting in the arrest of the baby’s father.
Florida, however, also has such a law, but last year, when a public defender left his baby in the car to die, he was not charged. The girl’s father, Young Kwon, is married to Assistant State Attorney Wendy Kwon, both who are employed in the Third Judicial Circuit, according to News Jax 4.
A 2005 Associated Press investigation determined about half of all incidents result in charge being filed.
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