The Midlothian father and his 18-month-old son were both found dead Tuesday at the father’s home, according to anews releasefrom the Chesterfield County Police Department.

Earlier in the day, the father found his son dead in his car, which he had parked outside his place of employment for at least three hours, the outlet reported, citing police.

It is unclear if the child died of a heat-related illness, but police said they are considering the child’s death an accident.

The CCPD was first informed of the toddler’s death shortly before noontime on Tuesday, according to the department’s news release.

Police said they were also told the man was “making suicidal statements” shortly before they found him deceased behind his home, according to the release.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Police said the father brought his son inside the home before he died of apparent suicide in the backyard.

Hensley told reporters that police “located a vehicle in the driveway with an open door and an empty child seat” inside upon arriving at the scene.

A body temperature of 107 degrees can kill a child, though heatstroke can begin when the body reaches 104 degrees, according to theNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. When a child is left in a hot vehicle, that child’s temperature can rise quickly — and they could die within minutes,” the administration says on its website.

At least seven child heatstroke deaths have been reported in 2022, according tothe National Security Council.

An investigation into Tuesday’s incident is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at 804-748-1251, via Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660, or through the P3 app.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.

source: people.com