Posted on 06/23/2004 8:34:20 PM PDT by ambrose
last updated: 6/22/2004
Woman Leaves Child in Hot SUV While Shopping
ANAHEIM — Social workers took custody of a woman's five children on Sunday after she left her 10-month-old son asleep in a locked SUV.
Police were called to the 99 Cents Only store at 2270 E. Lincoln Ave. about 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Someone had reported seeing a sleeping child in the Mitsubishi Montero parked outside, while the mother and her four other children, ages 3-6, were shopping, said Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez. The SUV's sunroof had been left open about 6-8 inches, Martinez said.
According to surveillance tape, the child had been alone in the SUV for about 20 minutes when a store employee noticed and was able to get the youngster out through the sunroof, Martinez said.
The child, crying, sweating and hot to the touch, was brought to the store office, where police and paramedics were summoned, Martinez said.
After shopping for about 45 minutes, the mother -- whose name was withheld -- and her other children returned to the vehicle, but the baby had been taken inside by then, the sergeant said.
The woman locked the other four children in the SUV, then went back into the store to look for her youngest child, Martinez said.
Social workers were called and a decision was made, with a supervising officer at the scene, to issue a misdemeanor citation to the mother and to remove the children from her custody temporarily, Martinez said.
Why didn't they leave someone there to wait for her?
I like that saying. There are many people out there like that.
What the he$$ is wrong with this woman. Small children and animals left in hot cars always cause problems, and so on.
Um, why?? Why wouldn't the police tell us the woman's name? If it had been a man who pulled this stunt, would the police have withheld his name? There's no next of kin to notify. There's no rape victim. The infant will certainly not be embarassed over this at least until it outgrows diapers. So why are they protecting this woman's identity?
Very good response mrs. tiggwinkle. :)
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