News: Father & Daughter Found Unconscious
(Long Island, N.Y.) A forty-five-year-old man and his two-year-old daughter were found unconscious in a parking lot in Lawrence. An emergency phone call was received at around eight on Monday reporting the incident. The pair was found in respiratory distress by the time that police and authorities arrived at the scene.
The father and daughter were found inside a silver Honda on Central Avenue. The car was parked outside Amazing Savings and investigators are ruling the incident as a possible murder or suicide attempt. Sources claimed that the forty-five-year-old is from Jamaica, Queens and the toddler is from Brooklyn.
Reports also stated that the parents of the two-year-old had been separated, and that the father may face charges for the crime. Since police and authorities have responded to the scene, the pair has been hospitalized. Sources claimed that both father and daughter remain in critical condition.
According to reports, a chemical found in fire extinguishers was found inside the toddler’s bottle. It came in the form of a white, powdery substance and was originally unidentified. The Nassau County Police Department Hazmat Unit also responded to the scene and determined that there was no further risk to the community.
A pesticide was also found on the child’s car seat and police and authorities claimed that the investigation is ongoing. It is unclear what the motive is in this crime and if the chemical was ingested by the father and two-year-old. It is also uncertain whether the chemical was intentionally implanted in the bottle and purposefully fed to the child.
The chemical has since been identified as ammonium chloride, which has been classified as an inorganic compound. Ammonium chloride comes in the form of a crystalline salt and has been determined to be highly soluble in water. Reports stated that the pesticide found has been considered a likely carcinogen and potentially harmful.
According to reports, ammonium chloride has also been found in fertilizers, feed supplements for cattle, and a nutritive media for microorganisms. It is used in fireworks, as an expectorant for cough medicine, and in safety or contact explosives. It is a food additive, used in hair shampoo, batteries, cleaning products, and as glue for plywood.
The pesticide found at the crime scene is an active ingredient in shampoo used for the combat against head lice. Though lethal to insects, the pesticide is believed to be detoxified and eliminated in vertebrates. In addition to killing beneficial insects and crustaceans, the family of pesticides is illegal in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and Austria.
