An Ohio father is facing a child endangerment charge after police said he left his 2-year-old daughter alone in a hot car while he shopped at Walmart.
According to WOIO, the incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. Monday outside the Walmart on Warrensville Center Road in South Euclid. A shopper who saw the child inside a car “parked directly in the sunlight” told a patrolling officer, who responded to the vehicle along with a police supervisor and other officers, South Euclid police said in a Facebook post.
At the time, the temperature outside was about 75 degrees, authorities said.
“Due to the high temperature and heavy humidity, the supervisor instructed officers to open the vehicle, to check the welfare of the 2-year-old girl, who appeared to be passed out,” the post read.
Report 201402 A 58 year old East Cleveland man was charged with Endangering Children after an incident at Walmart, 1868 Warrensville Center Rd on August 31st. At 7:05pm an officer on patrol was alerted by a shopper of an infant child left unattended in the back seat of a car. The car windows were up, the temperature was approximately 75 degrees, humidity was high, and the vehicle was parked directly in the sunlight. The officer immediately responded to the vehicle, as well as an off duty police supervisor and several nearby patrol units. Due to the high temperature and heavy humidity, the supervisor instructed officers to open the vehicle, to check the welfare of the two year old girl, who appeared to be passed out. Officers were able to get her out of her car seat and the vehicle. They observed she was physically warm to the touch, and was sweating. Officers were able to get her water while looking for a parent. At around 7:23 hours a man came out of Walmart and said he was the father of the girl. He stated that he was only inside for approx. 10 min. When he was asked why he left her in the car, he stated that she was asleep and didn't want to wake her up. He also said that she had a cold. The police supervisor was able to get a still, timestamped photo of the man exiting his car at 7:04:29pm. He did not return back to the car until 7:23pm. He left her unattended in the vehicle for 19 min. A witness submitted a written statement saying that when he pulled up,the infant child was in the car and when he came back out the child was still in the car. The witness told officers that he was inside Walmart for at least 10 min. The 58 year old father of the child was charged with Endangering Children (O.R.C 2919.22(A)) a Misdemeanor of the 1st Degree.
Posted by South Euclid Police Department on Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Officers removed the girl, who “was physically warm to the touch and was sweating,” from the vehicle and gave her water, according to the post.
The girl’s father, who had gone inside the store to shop, returned to the car about 19 minutes after he had left his daughter inside the vehicle, police said.
“When he was asked why he left her in the car, he stated that she was asleep and didn’t want to wake her up,” the Facebook post read. “He also said that she had a cold.”
Police charged the 58-year-old man with endangering children, a first-degree misdemeanor, authorities said.
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