Aug. 6--UPDATED 12:36 P.M. THURSDAY

BELLEVILLE -- A one-year-old baby girl died on Wednesday after being left in a car in the 2900 block of S. Belt West in Belleville.

The car was left in the parking lot in front of a small business complex, where a hair salon owner says she tried to save the baby's life.

Maria Skidis, the owner of Maria's Cut & Dryed hair salon, said the baby's mother often visited a relative at an insurance agency that adjoins her hair salon.

"I heard beating on the wall, so I went next door," Skidis said. "The baby was there and the mom was running back and forth."

Skidis said she administered CPR.

"[The baby] had yellow patches over her face," Skidis said.

An ambulance quickly arrived and rushed the baby girl to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Skidis said she personally drove the baby's mother, Jennifer, to the hospital.

"I yelled at her for leaving the baby in the car," Skidis said.

Skidis said the mother left the car running while she went into the insurance agency.

"The mom told me she only left them in the car for 15 minutes, but it had to be longer than that," Skidis said. "She said the air conditioning was on, but it was actually the heat."

Earlier story:

The 1-year-old baby girl who died after being left in a car in Belleville has been identified as Giselle Gomez, of Collinsville.

She died Wednesday after being found in a car in unincorporated Belleville, said Capt. Steve Johnson of the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office.

The girl was found about 3:15 p.m. Wednesday in the 2900 block of South Belt West. She was not responsive and not breathing when the ambulance arrived, Johnson said. The baby was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The temperature in Belleville was 89 degrees at 3 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. But no word yet on how hot the inside of the car was.

Authorities were interviewing members of the child's family on Wednesday night.

Sheriff's investigators have scheduled a press conference for 2:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss their findings.

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