Parents charged in death of 5-year-old found in vehicle hours after family attended baptism

PEORIA, Ariz. (AZFamily/Gray News) — A 5-year-old boy died at an Arizona hospital after being found unresponsive in a vehicle over the weekend. His parents are now facing charges.

The boy was found inside a vehicle at a Peoria home on Sunday afternoon.

Police said family members took the boy out of the vehicle before officers arrived and performed CPR. He was then taken to a hospital and later died.

The child’s parents, Anca Sabo and Mihail Sabo, were arrested in connection with the death and booked on negligent homicide and child abuse charges.

How did this happen?

Police said an initial investigation found that the family had returned home from a baptism of another child around 1 p.m.

Three hours later, at 3:56 p.m., the family realized the 5-year-old boy was missing and started to look for him, according to police. Anca Sabo then found him unresponsive inside the vehicle, police said.

According to state prosecutors, the parents said the mother was hosting a party at the home and asked her husband to get the boy from the vehicle.

The family’s attorney said Mihail Sabo asked the family’s 14-year-old to get the child out of the car. In court, the 14-year-old said he did not remember being asked to do so.

Anca and Mihail Sabo appeared in court Monday morning. Anca Sabo cried uncontrollably during the hearing.

The family’s attorney said the death was a tragic accident and argued that the abuse and negligent homicide charges are not appropriate.

“She called 911. She administered lifesaving efforts. She answered all questions of detectives. This is not someone who is running away,” the family’s attorney said. “Everything that she and her husband did upon finding the child in the vehicle was standard care.”

The family’s attorney also argued that asking the 14-year-old to get the child out of the vehicle was not the same as asking a young child, noting the child was sleeping and there was a lot going on at the time. The attorney said that does not deviate from what a normal person would do in that situation.

The state recommended a $250,000 cash-only appearance bond for Anca Sabo and requested she have no contact with any children.

A judge set a secured appearance bond at $150,000. The couple was told not to have contact with each other, but they were allowed supervised contact with their other children.

A search found no criminal records for either parent.

How the child died has not been released and court documents are sealed. Peoria police have been asked to clarify why the charges were filed.

Neighbors who did not want to appear on camera said the family is “very sweet” and said they do not believe the parents intentionally did anything wrong.