Children left in hot SUV at Indiana Walmart; couple arrested

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

1 2 minutes read

An Indiana couple is facing criminal charges after allegedly leaving two children in a vehicle whose temperature police say reached 125 degrees inside while they were shopping.

The Lawrence Police Department reported officers responded to a retail business Monday after a passerby saw the children in distress inside an SUV and called 911.

According to a police report obtained by USA TODAY, the incident took place around 7 p.m. outside a Walmart in northeast Indianapolis.

That day, the high temperature in the city reached 93 degrees, the National Weather Service reported.

According to the report, the children – including an infant – were left in a locked, non-working Ford Edge with no air conditioning while store cameras revealed their parents shopping in the store for nearly 45 minutes.

Officers reported finding one child “sweating profusely from the head and neck” and the other was “silent and appeared dazed, not sweating at all.”

Tips to avoid summer tragedies: Child Deaths in Hot Cars Could Happen in Any Family

Parents arrested for child neglect

Two adults, who arrived at their SUV around the time the officers did, were arrested at the scene, the report continues, and booked into the Marion County Jail on two counts each of neglect of a dependent.

Their children were placed in the care of the Department of Child Services, according to the report.

“We are happy to report that the children are OK and this situation had the best possible outcome,” said Captain Michael Sostre of the Lawrence Police Department.

Children dead in hot cars since 1990

Sostre said the case was still under investigation Thursday and formal charges were pending with the Marion County Prosecutor's Office.

It was not immediately known whether the children's parents had obtained the services of an attorney.

According to kidsandcars.org, at least 1,085 children have died in hot cars since 1990 in the United States and so far this year at least two have died.

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Do you see a child or animal in a vehicle? Call 911, police say

Although the agency is not investigating the case, Thursday morning, Indianapolis police posted a message on X, reminding people to never leave pets or children in cars in hot weather.

“The temperature inside an unattended vehicle can reach over 115 degrees while it is only 70 degrees outside!” wrote the agency. “If you see a child or animal in a vehicle, call 911 immediately.”

Indiana State Police also released a statement warning of the dangers of vehicular fatalities on the department's Facebook page.

“The Indiana State Police Bloomington District would like to remind Hoosier parents and pet owners of the extreme dangers of high temperatures and leaving a child and/or pet unattended in a hot vehicle. Never leave a child or pet unattended in a vehicle, even with cracked windows, and make it a habit to check the entire vehicle before leaving.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

Parents arrested for child neglect

Children dead in hot cars since 1990

Do you see a child or animal in a vehicle? Call 911, police say

Lina Portman

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