Tragic death of 5-year-old left in a hot car takes a turn as father accuses his teenage son of negligence

A 5-year-old boy in Arizona died after being left inside a sweltering vehicle while his family hosted a gathering at their home. The boy, identified as Theo Sabo, was found unresponsive in the car after his family returned from a baptism and spent hours inside the Peoria house.

Theo’s parents, Mihail and Anca Sabo, have been charged with negligent homicide and child abuse in connection with his death. Per NYPost, Mihail told investigators that he had asked his 14-year-old son to get Theo out of the vehicle. The teenager disputes remembering such a request.

The family had returned home from the baptism at around 1 p.m. and were hosting a gathering attended by relatives and friends. More than two and a half hours later, family members realized Theo was missing and began searching for him.

The teenager disputes being asked to get Theo

Mihail’s account became a key point during the parents’ court appearances. Their attorney, Leah Dodd, said Mihail had asked the 14-year-old to retrieve Theo from the vehicle after the family arrived home.

The teenager told the court he did not remember being asked to do that. Prosecutors, meanwhile, pointed to the length of time Theo remained inside the vehicle as part of the case against his parents.

Maricopa County prosecutor Brooke Gaunt said the child was in the car for more than two and a half hours while his parents were unaware of his location. The exact circumstances surrounding the communication between Mihail and his teenage son remain part of the ongoing case.

The temperature in the Phoenix area reached about 105 degrees that afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. The vehicle was parked outside the family’s home in Peoria.

Family members eventually found Theo unresponsive inside the vehicle and removed him before emergency crews arrived. They began CPR, and the boy was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police arrested both parents following the investigation into Theo’s death. Mihail and Anca were booked on charges of negligent homicide and child abuse.

Their attorney has argued that the death was a tragic accident rather than a criminal act. Dodd told the court that Anca called 911, participated in efforts to save Theo and answered investigators’ questions.

“She called 911, she administered life-saving efforts, she answered all questions of detectives,” Dodd said during the hearing. “This is not someone who is running away.”

Dodd also argued that the parents’ actions after finding Theo were consistent with what would normally be expected in an emergency. “Everything that she and her husband did upon finding the child in the vehicle was standard care,” she said.

The parents were each given a $150,000 bond. They were ordered not to have contact with each other but were allowed supervised visits with their other children.