911 calls released in death of 17-month-old left in hot car in Fort Myers

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — The Lee County Sheriff's Office released the initial 911 calls made when 17-month-old Gracian was found dead in a hot car on Tuesday.

Gracian was discovered in the parking lot of a church near College Parkway and Summerlin Road in south Fort Myers around 5 p.m. while in the care of a foster family. The sheriff's office shared the 911 calls on Friday afternoon.

In one of the calls, a woman who identified herself as a friend of the foster mother can be heard in a state of panic.

"Oh my God. I don't know. I don't know," the caller said. "My friend is a foster mom. She took the kids to daycare, and then she went to work, and the baby stayed in the car when she was at work. She didn't realize. She's in the car right now. I don't think she's alive."

When the dispatcher asked for clarification, the caller confirmed she was referring to the baby. In another call, a woman said, "I thought I took her to daycare this morning."

From the calls, it appears the driver of the car spent the day at work with Gracian in the back seat and discovered her when leaving for the day. Gracian was in the care of a foster family at the time.

WINK News has been seeking details on an investigation from the Department of Children and Families, but the agency has not responded.