A Phoenix toddler died in the back seat of a hot car, trying in vain to free himself after his drunken father left him there and went inside the house to sleep it off, authorities said Tuesday.

James Koryor, 41, was arrested and charged with manslaughter and child abuse, police said.

"It was an absolutely horrific death," Phoenix Police Sgt. Trent Crump said Tuesday, KTVK-TV reported.

There were no car seats inside the vehicle, and the boy tried desperately to get out, Crump said. It was not clear whether the doors were locked.

The dad was supposed to take his 2-year-old boy, along with his 5-year-old son, to get haircuts. Instead, he drove to a liquor store, bought a bottle of gin and drank it before driving home at about 2 p.m., police said.

Koryor went inside and fell asleep. The 5-year-old somehow managed to get out of the car, but the toddler was left behind with the windows up as high temperatures soared past 90.

The interior of the car was damaged from the toddler's attempts to get out, Crump said.

The mother was inside the home, studying. She discovered her son's body about 4 p.m., when she went out to drive to class. Neighbors said they heard weeping and wailing from the family's driveway.

Officers initially said there was confusion among family members about who was watching the children. Koryor later admitted to investigators that he had been drinking heavily, police said.