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Police: Child died in hot car while mother was in hair salon

Arrest warrants provide new details on police believe happened the day of the child's death.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. -- A 1-year-old child died after being left in hot car while her mother was inside of a hair salon, arrest warrants indicate.

Dijanelle Fowler is facing numerous charges, including second-degree murder, in the June 15 death of her child, Skylar Fowler.

The child was found dead in the back seat of Fowler's vehicle in the Emory Physicians parking deck. Police said the toddler died of heat.

Arrest warrants provide new details on what police believe happened the day of Skylar's death.

According to the arrest warrant, Dijanelle Fowler arrived for an appointment at her hair dresser at the Northlake Festival shopping plaza in Tucker around 10 a.m. At 4 p.m., video showed Fowler getting into her car. Witnesses and video indicate that she never left the salon in those six hours. Police said she had left the car running, but it had shut off before she came out.

Fowler then got help from a man inside the hair salon to jump start the vehicle, according to the arrest warrant. By that point, police believe the child was already dead in the back seat. The warrants said that Fowler may have placed clothes over the child's body to conceal her death from the man helping to jump start her car.

Between 4 p.m. and 4:54 p.m., police said she texted the child's godfather and said she was going to urgent care for headaches. Police said she also searched Google about signs of seizures. At 4:54 p.m., Fowler arrived at Emory. She then called 911 and claimed to have a seizure.

When Emory police responded, they found Skylar dead in the back seat.

Dijanelle Fowler was taken to the hospital for treatment. She was released later that night and left the state, according to DeKalb County Police. Investigators obtained warrants for her arrest, and their fugitive unit was actively looking for her. She turned herself in Monday night.

"I don't believe it was intentional," said DeKalb County Police Captain Jerry A. Lewis. "It seems that it was an accident. However, with that in mind. There's consequences that come with that."

The toddler was buried in South Carolina, where Fowler's family is from. Authorities believe Fowler had only been in the Atlanta area for a few months at the time of her daughter's death.

Fowler is charged with second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children, and concealing a death. She remained jailed without bond Tuesday night.

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