A childcare worker has been arrested after a two-year-old boy was reportedly left in her car in hot weather for over three hours where he died of suffocation.

Little Arthur Oliveira dos Santos was just one of over 10 children being cared for by the female suspect, identified as Glaucia Aparecida Luiz, who ran an “unauthorised daycare centre” in her home, according to the police.

The two-year-old victim was left in a car outside the house in the area of Jardim Redentor in the municipality of Bauru in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo between 1.45 and 4.51 pm, according to the police.

Local media said the toddler was forgotten about and subsequently spent over three hours in the stuffy car in the afternoon sun.

According to the Civil Police, the suspect and her daughter looked after over 10 children in their home, referring to it as an “irregular daycare centre”.

The police were called to the scene late on Wednesday afternoon when the boy was discovered.

The tot was rushed to a nearby hospital, but was confirmed dead on arrival.

It is believed the young victim died of dehydration and suffocation, however, his body was sent for an autopsy to confirm his exact cause of death.

Meanwhile, the childcare worker has been arrested for homicide and is being held in preventive custody.

On Thursday, her defence team requested a provisional release as “there was never the intent to bring about such an outcome”.

Her defence team said in a statement: “Glaucia and her family have been collaborating closely with the investigation to clarify the facts, not least because Glaucia did not intend to bring about the child’s death or harm him.

“The defence passes on our condolences and the most sincere condolences of Glaucia and her family to the boy’s relatives.”

Little Arthur was buried in a cemetery in the municipality of Macatuba on Thursday afternoon.

The investigation is ongoing.