Seven small children were locked inside of a hot car while mom went shopping for about 20 minutes, but an astute 4-year-old likely saved all those kids lives that day.
The oldest of the seven kids may have prevented a car death by notifying police about a dangerous situation in a Waldorf, Maryland parking lot, reports ABC7.
Police responding to an emergency call found the children “scared,” “sweaty,” and unattended after a 4-year-old told 911 dispatchers that they were hot and thirsty inside a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
#Breaking Charles County Sheriff’s Office says 7 toddlers (ages 2 to 4) were left in a car in the parking lot of St. Charles Towne Center in Waldorf. Car is a black Chevrolet Monte Carlo Photo from @CCSOMD below. There was only 1 car seat in the car. pic.twitter.com/DaUDneoBAM
— Ryan Sprouse (@RSprouseABC7) May 10, 2019
The children’s caretaker told police she had just gone into the mall to use the bathroom for a few minutes but surveillance footage showed the mom shopping when the 4-year-old made the phone call.
According to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, a 37-year-old woman who was babysitting all five children, alongside her two little ones, left the youngsters inside the passenger car with the windows rolled up and the car wasn’t running.
About 10 minutes after authorities arrived at the scene, officers removed the toddlers, ages 2 to 4, from the vehicle that only had one car seat.
The woman was charged with confining children inside a motor vehicle and additional charges are pending. The department warned in a news release:
“As a reminder, it is against the law to leave a child under the age of eight unattended inside a motor vehicle if the caregiver is out of sight of the child unless a reliable person at least 13-years-old remains with the child.”
They added:
“It is also dangerous to leave anyone, including pets, inside a motor vehicle especially as outside temperatures become warmer. The temperature inside a parked car can quickly rise to extremely high and even fatal levels in a short period of time.”
The kids are all okay but needed water from dehydration.
Using GPS, emergency responders were able to track the children after asking them the color and make of the car.
Watch the video below: