Elkhart police investigate death of 6-year-old boy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Police in Elkhart are working to determine what caused the death of a 6-year-old boy who was found unconscious in a vehicle over the weekend.

The Elkhart Police Department says officers responded to a home in the 1000 block of West Wolf Avenue on Saturday evening following a 911 hang-up call. The home is located near the intersection of State Road 19 and Lusher Avenue, southwest of downtown Elkhart.

Upon arrival, Elkhart police found a group of people standing outside the residence. The group directed officers to a vehicle parked next to the house.

“The officers observed a young unconscious boy laying inside the vehicle and immediately began rendering first aid until medics arrived. After medic arrival, an EPD officer assisted medics by continuing CPR on the young boy while he was being transported to the hospital,” Elkhart PD wrote on Facebook.

Despite life-saving efforts, the 6-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Police also found an unconscious woman lying in a doorway. She was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment. A man found upstairs in the residence was conscious and awake; he was also taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Elkhart police say the initial investigation found an elevated level of carbon monoxide inside the Wolf Avenue residence. Carbon monoxide poisoning has not been confirmed as the boy’s cause of death, but breathing in too much carbon monoxide can cause confusion, dizziness, loss of consciousness, or death.

The Elkhart County Homicide Unit was activated, per protocol, and is handling the investigation.