8-month-old Snellville girl left in car for hours dies, father
faces murder charge
SNELLVILLE, Ga. -
Police said a baby girl died Tuesday when she was left in a car
for several hours after her father was arrested for violating
his probation in Snellville.
Police charged the father,
20-year-old Davied Japez McCorry Whatley, with second-degree
murder. Police said the child, Nova Grace Whatley-Trejo, died
from being exposed in the car.
Officials with the
Snellville Police Department said, shortly after 2:15 p.m.,
Whatley entered the lobby of their department to pick up a gun
police had in their possession.
While he was there,
police learned that Whatley had a warrant out for his arrest for
a probation violation. He was arrested and taken to the Gwinnett
County Jail. Police said it's standard to conduct a background
check for anyone picking up a firearm at the police department.
Later that night, police say a woman brought her
8-month-old granddaughter to the Piedmont Eastside Emergency
Room. The baby girl, who has been identified as Whatley's
daughter, was pronounced dead.
The grandmother told
hospital staff that the girl had been left in Whatley's car
after a traffic stop. Investigators said, at some point, Whatley
told the child's grandmother the child was in the car.
When police were notified about the death, they found Whatley's
car parked near the dumpsters at the Snellville City Hall.
Investigators say Whatley was recorded the entire time from
when he walked into the police department to when he was booked
at the jail. At no point did he mention his daughter had been
left in the vehicle.
"I'm absolutely astounded someone
could leave an 8-month-old in the car, park away from our
building and walk up here knowing that child was in the car,"
Snellville Police Department Detective Jeff Manely said.