Mother Arrested in Connection to July Hot Car Death of 9-Year-Old

Harris County, TX — A 36-year-old mother has been arrested and charged with felony murder following the July death of her 9-year-old daughter, who was left inside a vehicle for several hours in Galena Park.

On July 1, 2025, Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputies responded to the 1200 block of Mayo Shell Road after receiving reports of an unresponsive child inside a vehicle parked at an industrial complex. The girl, identified as Oluwasikemi Akayinode, was found deceased at the scene.

Detectives determined that her mother, Gbemisola G. Akayinode, had arrived at work around 6 a.m. and left her daughter in the vehicle with the back windows partially down. The child was discovered unresponsive around 2 p.m., after being left in the car for approximately eight hours.

Following an extensive investigation, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences ruled the cause of death as hyperthermia and classified the case as a homicide.

On Friday, October 17, 2025, HCSO Homicide Detectives, working with the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), arrested Gbemisola Akayinode. She has been charged with felony murder and booked into the Harris County Jail.