Mother of Twins Who Died in Hot Car: ‘I Still Love My Husband’

“He has five kids — now three — and everyone is just beside themselves,” Mr. Jackson said.

Mr. Rodriguez was a captain in the New York Army National Guard, assigned to the medical command, according to Eric Durr, a spokesman for the National Guard. The police identified the Rodriguezes’ daughter as Mariza, but her parents called her Luna, which means moon in Spanish.

In New City in Rockland County, about an hour north of New York City, the family’s neighbors were saddened by the news. The twins had just turned 1, and the family had celebrated at home with balloons and an inflatable bounce house.

“No one throws a party like that who doesn’t love their kids,” David Maayani, a neighbor, said.

The Rodriguez home, a two-story brown house, has a large, fenced backyard with a set of swings and three yellow slides. A sign that says “Slow Down Look Up” was staked in the grass beside the mailbox.

During the recent heat wave, New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services warned parents not to leave their children in cars. An average of 38 children die of heatstroke each year after being left in locked cars, according to kidsandcars.org, a nonprofit focused on preventing death and injury to children and pets from vehicles.

Mr. Rodriguez left his job, got in the car and drove a short distance before realizing the twins were inside, the police said. He jumped out and screamed.

A passer-by called the police. When officers arrived, they discovered the infants strapped in their car seats and not breathing, according to the criminal complaint.

Mr. Rodriguez’s bail was set at $100,000, and he posted a $50,000 cash bond, according to the Bronx district attorney’s office. He is due back in court on Thursday.