CHANDLER, Ariz. — An Arizona mom is behind bars after police said she left her baby inside a hot car as outdoor temperatures reached 112 degrees.
According to the Arizona Republic and KTVK-TV, witnesses called 911 about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday after seeing a sweaty, crying infant locked in a car, which wasn't running, in a Target parking lot, Chandler police said. Following the dispatcher's advice, a good Samaritan broke a window to rescue the child, the Republic reported.
After first responders arrived, they examined the infant, who had elevated blood pressure but was in good condition, officials said.
Surveillance footage showed that the baby had been inside the vehicle for nearly 20 minutes as mother Holli Broadbent Platt, 39, of Chandler, shopped with three other children, police said. She hurried back to the car after a store manager used an intercom to page her, the Republic reported.
Platt, who told officers that she hadn't meant to leave the infant but became distracted by the other kids, was arrested on a child abuse charge, according to the newspaper. The children are now with their father, authorities said.