Police in Edmonton has laid charges against a 22-year-old woman after her 8-month-old baby was found in a hot car and taken to hospital.
Police were called around 8:20 p.m. on Thursday evening, after someone reported that a baby had been left in a vehicle in a parking lot near 55 Street and 167 Avenue.
The caller told officials that the baby had been in the car, with the window left slightly open, for about 10 minutes before 911 was called.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene, where EMS removed the child from the vehicle.
It was 26 degrees Celcius outside the vehicle at the time and police said the infant was not very responsive. The baby was treated and taken to hospital for precautionary reasons.
Officers then found the baby’s mother who told police she brought her baby with her to meet with a friend for coffee and alleged that she forgot the infant in the vehicle.
The 22-year-old mother has been charged with “causing a child to be in need of intervention” under the Child Youth and Family Enhancement Act.
Police in the area has now issued a reminder to parents that vehicles are NOT babysitters.
“Leaving a child alone in a vehicle is dangerous and can cause them medical distress, at its worst, be a cause of death.,” said Sgt. Lael Sauter with the EPS Child at Risk Response Team. “This incident could have had a tragic ending.”
The city of Edmonton has recently been put under a heat warning as temperatures are expected to be high for an “unusually long duration,” according to Environment Canada.