At approximately 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 7, 2016, Southwest Division patrol officers responded to a complaint received from a concerned citizen regarding an infant left in the back seat of an unattended vehicle.
Officers responded to a commercial parking lot near 96 Street and 82 Avenue, where they found a seven-month-old child sitting in the back seat of a locked, unattended Toyota.
After a lengthy, unsuccessful search for the driver of the vehicle in nearby businesses, and with the temperature plummeting to - 28C, officers decided to break the front driver’s side window and retrieve the crying infant.
The parent of the child, a 30-year-old woman, returned to the vehicle approximately 10 minutes later and was charged with causing a child to be in need of intervention.
The name of the accused isn’t being released to protect the identity of the complainant.
If you spot a child left alone in a car:
- Call the police/911 immediately. Provide them with the location, license plate and vehicle description. If you have trouble connecting to emergency services, you can contact AMA Roadside Assistance at 1-800-222-4357.
- Stay with the children until help arrives, and assist them if possible.
- Ask for help from passers-by to canvas nearby businesses to find the driver. If you find the parent, please do not scold the parent - just stay focused on working together to get the child out of the vehicle.
- Don't let fear or lack of time prevent you from reporting unattended children. You may be saving their lives.