More tests awaited in death of baby in car

By Eloise Aguiar and Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writers

More tests are needed before the Honolulu medical examiner can determine what caused the death of a 10-month-old infant who was left in a hot, locked car this week.

Until those tests are finished, the cause of death has been deferred, said Susan Siu, chief investigator for the medical examiner. She did not know how long the tests would take.

The autopsy results are needed before police can decide whether to file criminal charges against the baby's mother, 31-year-old Susanna Hunt. The child has been identified as Anuhea Paet.

Honolulu police homicide Lt. Bill Kato said the baby's mother left her in her car — which was parked in the sun in a Kane'ohe parking lot — from 7:15 to 11:30 a.m. It is unclear whether she realized the child was in the car during that time.

"There was a long stretch of about four hours where the baby was left unattended in the car," he said.

At about 11:30 a.m., the mother drove to the Windward YMCA to teach a physical therapy class. She discovered the baby after the class was over at about 1 p.m.

Police said the mother, a Kane'ohe resident, was too distraught to be interviewed at the scene, and patrol officers took only a brief statement. Kato said yesterday that detectives have made an appointment to interview her further.

Joanne Holmberg, family program director at the Windward YMCA, said she first heard the mother screaming hysterically and left her office to investigate.

The mother came running into the lobby with the baby in her arms screaming, "my baby, my baby," Holmberg said yesterday.

Holmberg said the baby wasn't breathing and looked like she was sleeping. The child was hot, so wet towels were brought in to cool her, she said.

Holmberg said she tried to calm the mother, who attempted to explain what happened.

"She said she left the baby in the car by accident, that usually the baby was at the baby-sitter's," Holmberg said. "She said, 'I think my baby might be dead.' She said, 'Oh my god, I forgot, I forgot.' "

The woman's distress was so extreme that it drew the attention of several people, including a YMCA staff member who teaches CPR, she said. CPR was administered, and people were praying for success, Holmberg said.

"(The mom) was saying come on, come on," Holmberg said. "We were all praying. We were saying 'Dear God, please help us. Please help this baby.'"

The ordeal was over in 10 minutes when the ambulance came and whisked the baby to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, she said.

Holmberg is convinced that the mother was operating out of her normal routine and forgot the baby was with her. Because Monday was a holiday, it's possible the sitter wasn't available, she said.

"I truly believe she did not know that the baby was there," she said, adding that the mother wasn't a flaky person.

"She's just a regular lady like you and me, a mom who was probably on overload and so much stuff on her plate, she just messed up."

Advertiser staff writer Mike Gordon contributed to this report. Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012, and Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com. or 234-5266.