In a heartbreaking incident that has shaken the San Antonio community, 28-year-old Tiona Lasaisha Islar faces serious charges following the deaths of her two young children, who were found unresponsive in a sweltering vehicle on her property. The tragedy unfolded on September 20, 2025, amid triple-digit temperatures that turned a routine afternoon into a nightmare. Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a frantic 911 call from Tiona Lasaisha Islar around 3 p.m., where she reported discovering her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter inside the car.
Despite immediate efforts to save them, the children were pronounced dead at the scene. This case highlights the deadly dangers of hot car incidents, a persistent risk in Texas summers, and raises questions about parental oversight and child safety. As investigations continue, the focus remains on the loss of two innocent lives and the legal ramifications for their mother.
The Tragic Discovery: A Mother’s 911 Call Turns into Horror
The sequence of events began on a blistering Saturday afternoon in far West San Antonio, where temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit, exacerbating the risks associated with leaving children unattended in vehicles. Tiona Lasaisha Islar, a resident of the 9800 block of Krier Drive, placed a desperate call to emergency services at approximately 3 p.m. According to reports from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), Tiona Lasaisha Islar informed dispatchers that she had just found her children—6-year-old Sevani Stevenson and 3-year-old Miyani Islar—unresponsive inside a parked car on her property.
Sevani, who was diagnosed with autism, and his younger sister Miyani were siblings sharing the same heartbreaking fate. Deputies arrived swiftly to the scene, a quiet residential area where the family’s home and vehicle were located. Upon arrival, they discovered the children still inside the car, which had been locked with the windows rolled up. The interior temperature, investigators later noted, would have skyrocketed far beyond the outside heat due to the greenhouse effect common in enclosed vehicles.
First responders, including Bexar County Sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical services (EMS), immediately initiated life-saving measures. Deputies described attempting to perform CPR simultaneously on both children, a chaotic and futile effort amid the overwhelming circumstances. Paramedics took over, but despite their best attempts, Sevani and Miyani were declared deceased at the location, sparing families the additional trauma of hospital transport.
Tiona Lasaisha Islar, visibly distraught, was present at the scene and cooperated initially with authorities. She claimed to deputies that she had last seen the children inside the house around 10 a.m. that morning, before lying down for a nap due to feeling unwell. When she awoke several hours later, she said she went outside and discovered them in the car, prompting her to call 911. The children were dressed in light clothing suitable for the heat, but no signs of forced entry or external involvement were immediately apparent.
Read : Vanessa Esquivel Arrested After Intentionally Leaving 15-Month-Old Child to Die in Hot Car
Child Protective Services (CPS) was also summoned to the residence, as protocol dictates in cases involving child fatalities, to assess any broader family dynamics or prior concerns. This discovery sent ripples through the neighborhood, with residents expressing shock and grief. One neighbor, speaking anonymously to local media, recalled hearing sirens and seeing the flurry of emergency vehicles. “It’s unimaginable,” the neighbor said.
Read : Top Ten Most Beautiful Ropeway Journeys Around the World
“Those kids were always playing outside; you never think something like this could happen right next door.” The BCSO quickly secured the area, treating the scene as both a potential crime site and a medical emergency response zone. Preliminary evidence, including the position of the children in the backseat and the state of the vehicle, pointed toward a prolonged exposure to extreme heat, a factor that claims dozens of young lives annually across the United States.
Inconsistencies Emerge: Sheriff’s Office Questions Islar’s Account
As the initial shock subsided, investigators from the BCSO delved deeper into Islar’s narrative, uncovering discrepancies that cast doubt on her version of events. Sheriff Javier Salazar, in a press briefing shortly after the incident, emphasized that while Tiona Lasaisha Islar appeared cooperative during questioning, several elements of her story “didn’t add up.” Transported to the sheriff’s office downtown for a formal interview, Islar reiterated her account: she had brought the children inside the home after an outing, checked on them briefly, and then dozed off around 10 a.m.
Upon waking around 3 p.m., she allegedly noticed the car door ajar and found the children inside, prompting her immediate call for help. However, forensic analysis and witness statements began to reveal inconsistencies. For one, surveillance footage from nearby properties and the family’s own security camera—though not publicly detailed—did not fully align with the timeline Tiona Lasaisha Islar provided.
Deputies noted that the children were reportedly seen playing outside earlier in the day, but the exact moment they entered the vehicle remained unclear. Additionally, the condition of the car suggested it had been unattended for several hours, with no air conditioning running and keys out of reach inside the home. Tiona Lasaisha Islar’s explanation for how the children accessed the vehicle and locked themselves inside lacked supporting evidence, leading investigators to probe further into potential neglect or intentional oversight.
Sheriff Salazar, a veteran of numerous child endangerment cases, addressed the media with a measured tone, stressing the sensitivity of the matter. “We’re dealing with the loss of two beautiful children here, and our hearts go out to everyone involved,” he stated. “But we have to follow the facts, and right now, there are some inconsistencies that need to be resolved.” Prior CPS involvement added another layer of complexity; records indicate that deputies had responded to the home in recent weeks over concerns of child neglect, though no formal actions were taken at that time.
This history prompted a more thorough review of family circumstances, including Islar’s living situation as a single mother and any external stressors she might have faced. The interview process lasted several hours, during which Tiona Lasaisha Islar maintained her composure but provided varying details on minor points, such as the exact time she fell asleep or what she did upon waking. Investigators also examined her phone records and the 911 call audio, which captured her panic but offered no new insights into the preceding hours.
By late afternoon, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office had taken custody of the children’s bodies for autopsies, with preliminary findings supporting hyperthermia—severe heat stroke—as the cause of death. Full toxicology and manner-of-death determinations are pending, but the rapid onset of symptoms in young children exposed to such conditions aligns with established medical knowledge. These emerging inconsistencies shifted the investigation from a potential accident to a case of suspected criminal negligence, setting the stage for Tiona Lasaisha Islar’s arrest.
Arrest and Charges: Facing Justice Amid Community Grief
By 7 p.m. on the same day as the tragedy, Tiona Lasaisha Islar was formally arrested and booked into the Bexar County Jail on two counts of Injury to a Child by Serious Bodily Injury/Death, a second-degree felony in Texas. The charges stem directly from the alleged failure to supervise the children, resulting in their deaths from environmental exposure. Bond was not immediately set, and Tiona Lasaisha Islar remains in custody as of September 22, 2025, awaiting her initial court appearance.
The BCSO’s swift action underscores their commitment to holding accountable those responsible in child fatality cases, particularly when evidence suggests preventable circumstances. The legal implications are severe. Under Texas Penal Code Section 22.04, injury to a child carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison per count if convicted, given the fatal outcome. Prosecutors will likely argue that Tiona Lasaisha Islar’s nap, lasting over five hours, constituted reckless endangerment, especially in light of the known dangers of hot cars and her familiarity with her children’s needs—particularly Sevani’s autism, which may have required closer monitoring.
Defense attorneys, though not yet appointed, could counter with arguments of unintentional oversight or mitigating factors like exhaustion or undiagnosed health issues. The pending medical examiner’s report will be pivotal, potentially confirming or refuting intent. Community response has been one of profound sorrow and calls for awareness. Vigils are already forming in San Antonio’s West Side, with neighbors placing flowers and toys at the family’s driveway as tributes to Sevani and Miyani.
Local advocacy groups, such as those focused on child safety and autism support, have issued statements emphasizing prevention. “This is a stark reminder that hot cars kill in seconds,” said one representative from Kids and Car Safety, a national nonprofit. Parents in the area are sharing tips on vehicle checks and installing alerts, while schools—where Sevani attended—are providing counseling for classmates.
Sheriff Salazar echoed this sentiment in his briefing, urging the public to submit any relevant video footage from the area to aid the investigation. “I just hope that the babies are at peace,” he added solemnly, a rare emotional glimpse from the seasoned lawman. As the case progresses, it serves as a grim chapter in Texas’s ongoing battle against heat-related child deaths, which claim an average of 37 lives nationwide each year, according to federal data. For now, the focus remains on justice for Sevani and Miyani, two bright lights extinguished too soon in the unrelenting Texas sun.