Why? Except when weather is extreme (and if the keys are not in the car, so the kids can't start it up and go anywhere) what exactly is the big threat that is different than kids unattended anywhere, like a park for instance. And doesn't the place the car is parked determine completely whether there is any appreciable risk to the child at all?
If the parent is not able to view the child in the car they are placing that child in jeapardy, even if nothing bad happens. That IMHO is irresponsible. But, I don’t draw the line at just leaving a child unattended in a car. Young children left unattended anywhere shows poor judgement on the part of the parent. There is also an age factor that was not previoulsy discussed. The younger the child the greater the potential risk.
I’m not sure why the place the car is parked is a consideration here. A young woman was recently shot and killed by a man who attempted to rob her in a busy parking lot. Leaving a child in a car in a busy parking lot is no guarantee of the child’s safety.
Please keep in mind that in this particular case the mother, based on her version of the event, was only around 30 feet from the car, the car was always in her view, it was parked up near the entrance to the store, and it was locked. Thus, I have no problem with what this woman did. I refer to parents who leave a young child in a car, locked or not, and go into the place of business where they do not have any view of that vehicle or their child, and have no way to respond were a situation to arise.