Authorities blame heat in Belleville woman’s death

BELLEVILLE, Ill. — Authorities say heat contributed to the death of a 79-year-old woman found dead on the porch of a home in her southwestern Illinois hometown of Belleville.

A St. Clair County deputy coroner says Ruth Reinhardt’s body was found Wednesday evening.

The Belleville News-Democrat (http://bit.ly/qe6t2s ) says police had tried to locate Reinhardt earlier in the day after someone reported seeing her apparently disoriented while walking in her neighborhood.

The National Weather Service says the region experienced record heat Wednesday, with the high temperature reaching 103 degrees. That topped the day’s previous record of 100 degrees set in 1953.

———

Information from: Belleville News-Democrat, http://www.bnd.com