Police have charged a mother with criminal neglect after her nine-month-old baby was found unresponsive inside a car in Adelaide’s north.

Emergency crews were called to a home at Elizabeth Downs on Wednesday night after the little boy, Kohen, was discovered in a minivan parked in the driveway.

Witnesses said his parents panicked when they went to check his bedroom and found it empty.

Neighbours told 7NEWS they ran door‑to‑door pleading for help as CPR was performed on the infant.

His mother was heard begging him to wake up, but he could not be revived.

It is not yet known publicly how long the baby had been inside the car.

The street was swarming with police and paramedics around 8pm and a 31‑year‑old woman has since been arrested and charged with criminal neglect.

7NEWS understands that the woman arrested is Kohen’s mother, Crystal Manneken.

“Obviously I’ve got my own kids, so that’s scary,” neighbour Jane Hudson said.

Another resident, Jessica Edwards, said the loss of such a young life had shaken the community. “I’ve got a grandbaby — that’s just horrible.”

Detectives returned to the street on Thursday morning, speaking with witnesses and the devastated family as the investigation continues.

Manneken is out on bail and will return to court in April.