Police Identify Victim, Circumstances Around Ridgefield Baby's Death

Ridgefield police released the name of the 15-month-old victim that died after being left in a car for most of the day Monday.

Benjamin Seitz, of Ridgefield, born March 28, 2013, was supposed to be dropped off at daycare Monday morning by his father but never arrived, according to police.

Benjamin’s father went to work at 38A Grove St. in Ridgefield (an office complex) with the boy still in the back seat. He reportedly discovered the child that evening and rushed him to Danbury Hospital around 6 p.m., where the boy was pronounced dead.

As of Wednesday evening, the incident was still under investigation and the Medical Examiner’s Office had yet to make a determination on cause of death.

Ridgefield police did not release the father’s name or any further information. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, no charges had been filed.

Seitz is the 19th child to die in a similar manner this year, in a trend on the rise since 1998.

Read about one local mother’s experience forgetting her infant in the car and their family’s warning that it could happen to anyone.