Oklahoma father accused in deaths of 2 children inside hot truck released

TULSA, Okla.  — An Oklahoma father accused of the deaths of his young son and daughter after they spent five hours in a hot truck was released after surveillance footage showed the children had climbed into the vehicle on their own, authorities said Monday.

Dustin Dennis, 31, was released after investigators reviewed a neighbor’s surveillance camera footage that showed his 4-year-old daughter, Tegan, and 3-year-old son, Ryan, getting into the truck but not coming back out, the Tulsa District Attorney Office said.

Dustin Dennis faced murder charges in the deaths of his two children, Teagan and Ryan.(Tulsa County Sheriff's Office/Chantiel Keyes)

The Tulsa district attorney presented the new evidence to the judge who initially set Dennis’ bond, and he was released. No formal charges have been filed.

Dennis was arrested Saturday on two second-degree murder warrants, police said.

Dennis had told police that he took his children to a convenience store around noon Saturday. Upon arriving home, he went inside and fell asleep for four or five hours. When he awoke he found the children inside the vehicle. He called the police after he carried the children inside the house.

Police said the children were in the car for five hours as the temperature hit low 90s in Tulsa on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.