JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — This story was updated on September 7 at 10:44 p.m.
Police are investigating after a 2-year-old girl was found dead outside a church, according to the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.
In an update Wednesday afternoon, police said the child was left in a personal vehicle in the parking lot of the church.
The Florida Department of Children & Families website says the girl was left in the car accidentally by her father. She was a student at the daycare at the church.
Officers responded to Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Preschool at approximately 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, in reference to a child found unresponsive.
When officers arrived, they found the toddler dead in a vehicle outside the property. The Jacksonville Beach Police Department says that the death was heat-related.
Jacksonville Beach Police Department Public Information Officer Tonya Tator said she wanted to tell parents to keep their cars cool whenever a child is inside.
It's unclear if the incident was accidental and no one is currently detained, according to JBPD.
Investigators say they are interviewing several people and the investigation is ongoing.
First Coast News spoke with Tanner Bell, a parent who lives in the neighborhood, about the incident at the church. Bell's daughter doesn't go to the school.
“Yea just found out about it and immediately I want to spend as much time as I can, and you never know. I just want to make sure that they’re safe. I’m going to spend the rest of the night with her [his daughter].”