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A mother in Georgia has been charged with first-degree cruelty to children and reckless conduct after allegedly leaving her two children in a closed car outside of a Dollar Tree store.
Eneilu Espinoza, 27, was arrested after allegedly leaving her two kids, a 5-year-old and 3-month-old, in a closed car while shopping on Tuesday at a Dollar Tree in Roswell, Georgia, while it was nearly 93 degrees outside according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Police officers were dispatched to the scene at around 1 p.m., according to the report, and found that the car was unlocked with the engine off and the windows were rolled up, all while heat index values exceeded 100 degrees.
When police approached the mother inside the store, she told them that she had been in the store for a few minutes, but police say that the children were “showing early signs of heat-related illness.”
ODESSA, TEXAS WITHOUT DRINKING WATER AS TEMPERATURES SOAR
A person walks past a Dollar Tree store on November 23, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
(Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The 3-month-old was taken to an area hospital and the 5-year-old was later released to their father.
Espinoza was booked at the Fulton County Jail, according to the report.
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The Roswell Police Department issued a warning to the area following the incident.
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“The Roswell Police Department would like to remind the public that in the current climate, minutes can be deadly,” the statement from police says. “Heat exhaustion and heat stroke can set in very quickly in these temperatures in an outside environment, let alone inside of a sealed car. If you cannot bring your children inside your destination, leave them at home in the care of a responsible guardian.”
