Single dad faces 2nd-degree murder charges for leaving 1-year-old son in car (Scottsdale, Arizona)

I don't usually post stories about children left in hot cars. Most are accidents, caused by rushed parents who have had a sudden change in routine.

But this father DELIBERATELY left a 1-year old child in a car all day, then tries to throw in a lot of bogus excuses about not finding a babysitter.  Then he does suspicous things like not leaving the child food or water so there would be no mess in the car. Huh? Then he acts strangely and eratically when it comes to getting the baby medical help. He drives around looking for a hospital instead of calling 911--even when the kid is comotose?

Plus, what happened to the mother of this child? Notice that there is no mention of one, and it doesn't occur to anybody to ask why. How did this father, who frankly sounds like a flaky idiot, get custody? Who gave it to him? And what happened to Mom?

Dad is identified as BROKALE LYTTE MARQUES.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Child-left-in-car-dies-police-seek-murder-charge-against-father-225040112.html

Child left in car dies; father faces second-degree murder charge

by Jennifer Thomas Posted on September 24, 2013 at 9:05 AM
Updated yesterday at 9:14 AM

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A Phoenix man accused of leaving his 1-year-old son in a car while he went to work Saturday morning faces a second-degree murder charge following the boy's death.

Brokale Lytte Marques, 28, previously was booked on counts of child abuse, child neglect and endangerment. He is being held on a cash-only $500,000 bond. He is due in court for a status conference on Oct. 1 and a preliminary hearing on Oct. 3.

Marques told police that he was required to work one Saturday a month and he forgot that it was his required day. He was rushing and did not give his son breakfast, only giving him a half cup of water. He said he was unable to drive to the baby sitter's home in Glendale and was unable to locate a sitter using Craigslist.

He left Markale in the car with the engine running and the air conditioning on while he went to work near Scottsdale Road and the Greenway-Hayden Loop, according to police.

Marques told police that he did not leave his son with water or food because he would have spilled it all over and made a mess.

Between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Marques went to a fast-food restaurant for lunch and said Markale seemed fine at that point. Police said he then returned to work.

Marques told police that he did not believe it was good for the car's engine to be left running for an extended period of time so he decided to turn it off, according to the court paperwork. Believing the car was cool enough for the child, he left the windows rolled up and the doors locked with his son secured in the car seat. He found Markale unconscious and sweaty when he went out to check on him at 2 p.m.

Marques drove around looking for a hospital. He told police he did not want to wait for medical personnel. He was unable to find one so he pulled into the Scottsdale Quarter and found a security officer who called 911.

The child was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. Police said life-sustaining measures were discontinued late Monday night.

Court documents say during the investigation, Marques talked about his custom car, tried to joke with officers and did not ask about the welfare of his child.

Based on their investigation, detectives said Marques was aware that he had to work on Saturday and had more than enough time to secure a baby sitter.

Marques' place of employment told detectives that he was made aware on Sept. 1 that he would have to work on Saturday.

Detectives said Markale's sitter was surprised that Marques did not bring Markale over that day because the sitter knew he had to work and was expecting the child. The sitter told police that Marques had dropped off Markale every Saturday except one for the past two months.

When asked why he didn't attempt to have the baby sitter, a relative or a friend pick up his son from his work, Marques said he felt the child was his responsibility to take care of and did not want to inconvenience anybody.

"A car is not a playpen," said Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery. "On a hot day a car very well can wind up being an oven and ultimately a coffin for a small child."

After speaking with the baby sitter, detectives learned that in the past, Marques had left his son at the sitter's home without picking him up, failed to call and check on his welfare, and failed to provide enough food and diapers.