A 23-month-old boy was discovered dead inside an SUV parked outside A World of Discovery Academy in Plantation, Florida, on Monday afternoon. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.

Plantation Police Department and Plantation Fire Department officials responded to the early childhood education center around 5:39 p.m. after receiving a report of a deceased child in a vehicle. Fire Department officials pronounced the child dead at the scene, prompting detectives to launch a death investigation.

According to Leslie Novoa, the owner of A World of Discovery Academy, she and the child's father found the toddler in the back seat of the father's SUV. Novoa explained that the father had intended to drop off his child at the school but inadvertently left the child in the vehicle, never having admitted him for the day.

Novoa described the family as long-time attendees of the preschool, with the deceased toddler being the third child from the family to attend the institution. She expressed that they are a loving family and that this tragedy was unforeseen. Investigators were observed collecting evidence at the scene for several hours, with a tent erected around the vehicle.

Authorities have not yet announced whether any charges will be filed in connection with the child's death. The Plantation Police Department has been contacted for further information.

In the wake of the incident, Novoa urged parents to implement safety measures, emphasizing the importance of double-checking the back seat of vehicles before leaving them, to ensure children have been safely dropped off at their destinations.

This incident echoes similar tragedies that have occurred in Florida and across the nation, highlighting the dangers of children being left unattended in vehicles, particularly during warmer months.

Further details are expected as the investigation by the Plantation Police Department progresses.