A child that was left unattended in a vehicle on Friday morning in Hyattsville, MD was recused by police after they received a call from a good Samaritan. The Hyattsville Police Department (@HyattsvillePD) posted the following on Twitter:
“A child has been rescued from a locked vehicle and her mother is in custody following a close call this morning. After an alert Good Samaritan called to report a child left alone in a car, HPD officers rushed to the 3800 block of Oliver St & found a 5-year-old girl locked in a car as temperatures were rising. A window was partially down and officers were able to reach in to unlock a door.
We learned the child had been inside the car for several hours while her mother was visiting at a home nearby. The 29-year-old mother from Glen Burnie, MD, will be criminally charged with Neglect of a Minor, Unattended Child Left Confined in a Vehicle and Reckless Endangerment.
Child Protective Services has been notified, per Maryland law, to investigate and determine if the family can benefit from other services. It’s never ok to leave a young child unattended but it is particularly dangerous to do so in a vehicle when there is a heat advisory. Even with a window partially down, temperatures rise quickly and can become deadly. Children, dependent adults and even pets should simply never be left alone in a vehicle during extreme temperatures. We’re heartened that someone saw something and said something and are thankful for a community that looks out for each other!”