A 5-year-old girl was rescued from a locked car in Hyattsville, Maryland, on Friday, as temperatures were poised to reach almost 100 degrees.
Police said they got a call from a good Samaritan just before 8:40 a.m. about a child by herself inside a car in the 3800 block of Oliver Street. Upon arrival, they noticed that a window was “partially down,” and police were able “to reach in to unlock a door,” authorities said.
Police said their initial investigation revealed that the girl was inside the car “for several hours” while her 29-year-old mother from Glen Burnie “was visiting at a home nearby.”
The child’s mother faces charges of neglect of a minor, unattended child left confined in a vehicle and reckless endangerment. Police said they informed Child Protective Services per Maryland law.
“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,” police said in a statement. “Children, dependent adults and even pets should simply never be left alone in a vehicle during extreme temperatures.”
Police said they’re grateful for the individual who alerted them about the girl and are “thankful for a community that looks out for each other.”
