Police say confusion over who was supposed to remove the boy from the family vehicle preceded his death Sunday afternoon.
PEORIA, Ariz. — A Peoria couple has been arrested on negligent homicide and child abuse charges after their 5-year-old son was found unresponsive in a family vehicle Sunday and later died at a hospital, according to police and court reporting.
Mihail Sabo and Anca Sabo were booked into the Maricopa County jail following an investigation into the boy’s death. Police said the family returned home from church at about 1 p.m. Sept. 13 after attending a baptism celebration. Roughly three hours later, family members realized the child was missing and began searching for him. His mother found him unresponsive inside the vehicle, authorities said.
Peoria police responded shortly before 4 p.m. to the family’s home near Mariposa Grande Lane in north Peoria. Family members had already removed the boy from the vehicle and were performing CPR before officers arrived, according to police. Peoria Fire-Medical personnel transported him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Authorities had not publicly released a specific medical cause of death as of Tuesday.
Investigators have said a breakdown in communication among family members appears to be central to what happened. Peoria police Officer William Kennedy told local television station KNXV that investigators believed there had been confusion about who was responsible for getting the child out of the vehicle after the family arrived home.
According to prosecutors’ account reported from the parents’ first court appearance, Anca Sabo said she had asked her husband to get the boy from the vehicle while she prepared to host a gathering at the home. The family’s attorney said Mihail Sabo then asked a 14-year-old family member to bring the child inside. During the court proceeding, the teenager said he did not remember being asked to do so.
The defense disputed the suggestion that the circumstances amounted to criminal conduct. The family’s attorney described the death as a heartbreaking accident and emphasized that Anca Sabo called 911, attempted lifesaving measures and cooperated with detectives after finding her son. The attorney argued that the parents’ actions after discovering the child were consistent with efforts to save him.
Prosecutors nevertheless sought significant release conditions during Monday’s court proceeding. The state requested a $250,000 cash-only appearance bond for Anca Sabo and asked that she have no contact with children, according to Arizona’s Family. A judge instead set a $150,000 secured appearance bond. The parents were ordered not to have contact with each other while the case is pending, although supervised contact with their other children was permitted.
Police announced that both parents were booked on allegations of negligent homicide and child abuse. The charges are accusations, and neither parent has been convicted. Publicly available reports did not indicate that prosecutors had alleged the parents intentionally caused the boy’s death. The defense has maintained that the death resulted from a tragic mistake rather than deliberate wrongdoing.
Authorities have not publicly identified the 5-year-old boy, and news reports have not disclosed his name. Police also have not released a final investigative finding explaining the precise medical circumstances of his death. Arizona’s Family reported that related court documents remained sealed, limiting the amount of additional evidence available publicly.
The case remained under investigation Tuesday. Police had not announced additional arrests or charges, and authorities had not released a final cause of death. Mihail and Anca Sabo continue to face the allegations through the court process, where prosecutors will have to prove any criminal charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Author note: Last updated September 15, 2026.