Girl, 3, dies after being found in hot car in Pomona

POMONA, Calif. (KABC) -- A 3-year-old girl died after she was left in a sweltering car following a family outing in Pomona.

Police do not suspect foul play and said it all appears to be a tragic accident.

The girl, named Kiara Li, went on a family outing on Sunday. Authorities said the Li family left their house in the morning to visit the grave of their grandfather. Then, they went to lunch and out to ice cream. They returned home exhausted around 1 p.m.

Kiara was asleep in the back seat of the car.

Each parent thought the other parent or one of their older children had gone back to get her from the car. Once inside the home, everyone in the family took a nap.

About four hours later, they noticed Kiara was missing.

They found her unconscious in the hot car. There was no indication that the car was locked. Local temperatures in the area hit the mid-90s that day.

Kiara was rushed to Pomona Valley Hospital, where she later died.

Safety advocates say these types of accidents happen when a family is out of their usual routine and are unusually busy or distracted.

"In almost every single case, there is a change in routine, the parents aren't getting enough sleep, they are stressed, they are fatigued, and they go on autopilot," safety advocate Amber Rollins said.

In 2013, federal records show that 44 children across the nation died after accidentally being left in a car.

Experts say such incidents are very human mistakes and can happen to anyone - even the most responsible parents. They recommend leaving a handbag or something important in the back of the car that will force you to walk around you vehicle.