The father rushed to the Watts fire station at about 9:30 p.m., and rescuers rushed the child to St. Francis Medical Center, where the boy was declared dead.
Police did not release any details of exactly what happened but said they went through the van involved in the death and said there was no indication of foul play.
In a PSA on Kidsincars.org, the group shows just how easily a child's knee can hit the switch, activating the window and choking the child.
There were reportedly 37 children killed by power windows from 1990 to 2003.
The group pushed for automatic sensors so that windows would automatically retract if something was blocked, but automakers said there weren't enough deaths or accidents to necessitate that change in the manufacturing of the cars.
The only improvement that has been made is the switches are no longer above the surface. They are recessed, but that change was not made until 2008.
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