A woman charged in connection with the death of a four-year-old boy inside a sweltering car in Etobicoke has been released on bail.
The boy was discovered inside a dark red sedan parked next to a highrise on Mill Rd near Hwy 427 and Burnhamthorpe Rd at about 1 p.m. Thursday. A window was smashed in order to get the boy out.
Toronto Police believe the boy had been in the car for several hours on a day where the Humidex reached 31. He could not be revived.
50-year-old Zeljna Kosovac is charged with criminal negligence causing death.
Police say the boy had been in Kosovac's care but they're hesitant to detail the nature of that arrangement.
A handcuffed Kosovac was led into a courtroom at College Park Friday wearing a slouchy grey t-shirt with "wanderlust" across the chest, black lounge pants and pink flip flops.
She appeared stressed behind dark sunglasses, running her hands through her dark, wavy shoulder length hair as her lawyer tried to dodge reporters in a maze of hallways and foodcourts after her release.
While on bail Kosovac cannot be with a child under 14 unless someone older than 21 is present. She has to surrender her passport and promise not to leave Ontario. And Kosovac has to stay away from two people understood to be the four-year-old's parents.
Kosovac's case will be back before a judge October 16.
First responders to the scene are shaken by what they witnessed.
Overnight a memorial of stuffed animals, toy cars, flowers and candles had formed in the parking lot where the boy died. Tucked among them were messages like "RIP dear sweet boy" and "rest in paradise little guy!"
Siobhan Morris