SNELLVILLE, Ga. — A father in Snellville had to face a judge on Friday after he left his 8-month-old child in a hot car, leading to the infant's death. Davied Japez McCorry Whatley, who currently remains in jail, was presented with his charges and given a court-appointed attorney.
Officials said Whatley, 20, showed up at the Snellville Police Department around 2 p.m. Wednesday to pick up firearms that had been confiscated in a previous case.
While with the "property custodian," Whatley was taken into custody by police for a misdemeanor probation violation stemming from a hit-and-run crash with no insurance.
Body-cam video was released on Thursday, showing that Whatley never mentioned his daughter during his arrest.
RELATED: Bodycam video shows moment Snellville dad was taken to jail while his baby was left in a hot car
Around 9 p.m., the grandmother brought the baby, Nova Grace Whatley-Trejo, to Piedmont Eastside Medical Center's emergency room, where hospital staff determined she was dead. After learning of Nova's death, police located Whatley's car in the adjacent Snellville City Hall parking lot.
Whatley paid bond on Tuesday night for the probation violation but was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder following the death of his daughter.
11Alive's Brittany Kleinpeter spoke to Nova's mother, Selena, via text message, who said her little girl lit up the room.
"She had the biggest personality a baby could have. She laughed and smiled since she was a month old. She talked to you in her baby language and answered you with noises when you said her name," Selena said.
The high temperature in metro Atlanta was around 86 degrees, according to 11Alive meteorologists.