By Khalida Sarwari
BART police detectives are searching for clues in the death of 4-month-old Everett Carey who was found unresponsive Monday in his father’s car at the El Cerrito Plaza station.
The infant’s mother located him at about 5:35 p.m. in a silver Chrysler at the station and called 911, but the child died about half an hour later at Doctors Medical Center in San Pablo.
BART Police Lt. Frank Lucarelli said today that detectives will execute a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to Everett’s death.
“We’re bringing in a lot resources to make sure every loose end is tied up,” Lucarelli said.
This morning, detectives canvassed the parking lot to find anyone who may have witnessed the child in the car Monday. Lucarelli said the lot requires a parking permit and is usually occupied to capacity. But none of the patrons interviewed reported seeing the child.
BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Monday that it appeared as though Everett had been in the car most of the day. Lucarelli said the windows were rolled up and all the doors were locked. There was a car seat in the car, Lucarelli said, but he could not confirm whether the child was sitting in it.
Johnson said investigators have learned the boy’s father typically leaves him with a babysitter or some type of nursery in the morning and then takes a train.
When Everett’s mother discovered her child wasn’t where he was supposed to be, she went to the station and found him in the car, Johnson said.
As part of the investigation, Lucarelli said detectives have canvassed the neighborhood, interviewed officials at the infant’s daycare center and have gone to the parents’ workplace. The infant’s father is employed in San Francisco and his mother works in Napa.
Lucarelli said he does not recall another incident like this at BART stations.
“This is an immense tragedy to the family,” Lucarelli said. “A lot of the officers are parents themselves. They were saddened by this, if not traumatized.”
An autopsy was conducted this afternoon but the cause of Everett’s death has yet to be determined, according to the Contra Costa County coroner’s office.