Mother Arrested for Allegedly Leaving 3-Month-Old in Hot Car While Riding Horse at Local Fair
Authorities say a mother in Nebraska was at a county fair and left her 3-month-old baby alone in a hot car. She has since been charged with child abuse.
The Merrick County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that 40-year-old Cara Dugan was taken at the Merrick County Fairgrounds on August 24. Around 1:30 p.m., police were called to the county fair because someone said a baby had been left alone in a car.
The sheriff’s office says the 3-month-old was found after her cries were heard and several cars in the area were checked. The statement claims that Dugan left her child in her pickup truck for “a substantial amount of time” with the windows partially open and the engine turned off.
It was said that Dugan was riding a horse inside a building at the time. She was caught and taken to the Merrick County Jail, where she was booked on a felony child abuse charge. It’s not clear if she has made a plea or hired a lawyer to speak for her.
The 3-month-old baby, whose gender was not disclosed, was checked out at a nearby hospital, where doctors said the child was not hurt. It was then given to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to take care of.
The sheriff’s office says that on August 24, the temperature outside hit up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.