Posted on 06/08/2005 2:13:01 PM PDT by tuffydoodle
Baby Found In Hot SUV, Mom Arrested Wal-Mart Employee Pulls Child From Vehicle
CEDAR HILL, Texas -- Cedar Hill police are investigating a case of a child being left inside a hot car in the parking lot of a Cedar Hill Wal-Mart.
Lt. Steve Lafferty said a female store employee removed the 2-year-old child from a sport utility vehicle at 621 Uptown Blvd., just south of FM 1382.
"She went inside [the store] … She went back out and checked on the vehicle. The child was still in the car so she removed the child from the car, took [the child] inside and contacted police," he said.
Lafferty also said the SUV reached an internal temperature of more than 100 degrees before the woman rescued the child. The infant may have been in the car for as long as 30 minutes, police said.
Police arrested the child's mother, Tomisha Gist-Terry, who had been driving the SUV.
"The driver's been arrested, at this time, for outstanding warrants. The investigation is still pending," Lafferty said.
Gist-Terry will also likely face charges relating to child-endangerment, police said.
The woman was with two other adults, all of whom went inside the Wal-Mart to shop, the lieutenant said.
The child is in state custody and being treated at Children's Medical Center Dallas, but her condition is not known.
NBC 5 reported that when found, the child was covered with sweat.
Similar Rescue Last week, firefighters had to rescue an infant in a similar situation by breaking a car window.
For more than a half-hour, the child was locked in his car seat inside a car parked near Medical City.
The baby was not seriously hurt.
Dire Consequences In 2003, 10 children died in hot cars across Texas, and state officials are trying to make sure that never happens again.
Last week, they launched the new "Look Before You Leave" campaign to remind parents and others that it is never acceptable to leave children locked inside a vehicle -- regardless of the weather.
How horrible. I wouldn't even leave my cat in the car when it was 50 degrees out.
What the H*LL is wrong with people?!?!?!?!?
That woman should get 10 years in prison, at the least, for leaving her child in the car. Those other adults with her should also get prison time. Start putting these so-called parents in prison and this crap will stop!
What a loser!
Just waiting for someone to say 'Anyone can make a mistake' and 'it's the government's fault for making kids sitting in the back seat, therefore the parents forget they are there.' It usually happens on these threads...
To give you an idea how bad it is.
Today it is 93 here (not terribly hot by our standards) with the heat index near 100. It's hot enough that my son is having trouble finding kids to play with outside because the neighborhood parents aren't letting the kids out to play until it cools down.
I even cleaned my garage so the car wouldn't be so hot when I get in to it, and that is no easy task.
I can't imagine being locked in a car today for 30 minutes.
They just said on the news that for what she's charged with, she could get 20 years.
I pray she does. Thanks for the info.
*****What the H*LL is wrong with people?!?!?!?!?*****
At least we have a hero in the woman who saved the child!
Then rescue her.
I smell an SUV update coming tomorrow.
Roy Black: Tonisha's Defense : Baby was kidnapped by SUV to protest the price of gas.
The stupidity of people like this astounds me!
There should be a stupidity enhancement when charging people who do this to their kids.
If the government didn't require us to put kids in the back seat, parents wouldn't forget they had children. If anyone should spend 20 years in jail, it's the legislators.
Obviously it's no fault of the mother! The fault belongs with WalMart and their not opening more registers. They are evil.. evil... evil..
/sarcasm.
btw, this mom looks like she has no brain cells whatsoever.
Actually, I'm kind of surprised she didn't get charged for breaking into a vehicle and kidnapping.
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