Former Bexar County deputy arrested after leaving 2-month old child inside hot car for about 3 hours

SAN ANTONIO - A Bexar County Sheriff's deputy was arrested after leaving his infant child in a hot car for about three hours on Monday.

Antonio Almaraz, 31, a now former deputy according to the sheriff's office, was arrested shortly after the infant was rushed to the hospital.

Just after 1 p.m., the 2-month-old baby was found unresponsive inside the vehicle and rushed to the hospital. The child remains in critical condition.

Deputies say Almaraz gave conflicting statements on what happened, but investigators say he took the child around 9 a.m. to a routine doctor's appointment. He returned home just after 10 a.m., turned his vehicle off and went inside the home.

Sheriff's office was informed of the incident around 2 p.m. when the hospital called to the report the incident. Almaraz, who was just hired on Feb. 20, was given an order of dismissal due to his still in his probationary period with the sheriff's office.

He is being charged with injury to child, abandoning a child with intent to return and endangering a child.

Bexar County Sheriff's Javier Salazar issued a statement:

Given the amount of awareness in the community regarding leaving children unattended in vehicles, there is absolutely no valid excuse for this to have occurred. My family and I are praying for the best possibly outcome for this precious baby.

The investigation is ongoing.