LEXINGTON – An investigation is underway after a baby was found unconscious in a car in Lexington, Massachusetts, and later died.

“It’s just so, so sad”

“It’s horrible, you know? None of us can imagine what a family has to go through when they lose a child,” said Lexington Fire Chief Derek Sencabaugh. “The pain that family will probably endure for a lifetime.”

The one-year-old boy was found breathless in a car in a parking lot on Massachusetts Avenue around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. His distraught mother was with him. The parking lot borders a pedestrian and bike path and a daycare center.

“It’s just so, so sad,” said Jason Fligg, whose children used to attend the daycare. He stopped by Wednesday to offer his support to the owner. “It’s awful, it’s so heartbreaking. She’s all about helping kids grow up and become wonderful people, and it’s just so, so tragic. I just can’t… I have a sick feeling in my stomach. It’s awful, you know?”

Unclear how the baby died

Police have not yet said whether they suspect foul play or if the baby was taken to a nearby daycare. Sencabaugh confirmed the family is from the city.

“It’s a close-knit community,” Sencabaugh said. “A lot of people know everyone, so this is going to hurt the community as a whole. This is going to bring a lot of pain.”

It is not clear what caused the baby’s death. The Middlesex County District Attorney and police said the incident remains under investigation.

WBZ-TV contacted the owner of the daycare center, but she declined to comment.