How Gbemisola Akayinode’s lies, carelessness sent her daughter to the grave 

A 36-year-old mother, Gbemisola Akayinode, has been arrested and charged with murder after her nine-year-old daughter, Oluwasikemi, died in a hot car in Houston, Texas.

According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Gbemisola left her daughter inside a parked car for more than eight hours while she went to work at a manufacturing plant in Galena Park on July 1, a day when temperatures soared to 99°F (37°C).

Authorities said the child’s death was ruled a homicide caused by hyperthermia, an extreme form of heat stroke.

In court documents obtained by local media, Gbemisola told investigators she had left Oluwasikemi in the back seat of her car with food, a rechargeable fan, ice cubes, water, and the windows rolled halfway down. She also admitted giving the girl melatonin to help her sleep before heading into work around 5:45 a.m.

She reportedly did not check on her daughter until her shift ended around 1:53 p.m. by which time the little girl was unresponsive and turning blue.

“I screamed for help,” she told officers, insisting she had no one else to watch her child.

But investigators discovered that her foreman had been paying for her daycare, contradicting her claim that she couldn’t afford one until her next paycheck.

The Harris County Sheriff, Ed Gonzalez, confirmed the arrest on Friday, saying the mother now faces murder charges following the official autopsy report.

“This is one of the hardest cases we’ve handled this year,” Gonzalez said. “The child suffered for hours in unbearable heat.”

Court records show Gbemisola had previously taken her daughter to work with her on several occasions including the day before the tragedy.

She is expected to appear in court on Monday to face formal arraignment.

At least 30 children have died in hot cars so far in 2025, according to KidsAndCars.org, a U.S. nonprofit tracking such incidents. Since 1990, the number has surpassed 1,160 deaths nationwide.