Toddler left alone in car seat to watch TV is found dead, Georgia cops say

A toddler died after being left alone in his buckled car seat to watch TV, Georgia officials said.

On June 5, Dalton officers responded to the home of Anthony Pedigo, 30, and Kirsten Schmitt, 26, after getting reports of an unresponsive toddler, according to a Sept. 22 news release by the police department.

Schmitt and Pedigo had buckled their 22-month-old son, Grayson Pedigo, into his car seat so he could watch TV, police said.

Schmitt was watching TV with the toddler before she left him alone for 30 to 40 minutes so she could wake Pedigo up for his shift at work, officials said.

When the two came out from the bedroom, they found the boy unresponsive, officials said.

He had injuries that were “consistent with having the seat belt and buckle around his neck” before being pronounced dead at the hospital, officials said.

Schmitt and Pedigo were arrested Sept. 22 on charges of murder and cruelty to children, police said.

Dalton is about a 90-mile drive northwest from Atlanta.

This story was originally published September 22, 2025 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Toddler left alone in car seat to watch TV is found dead, Georgia cops say."