According to Police, a Mother From San Antonio Was Detained After Leaving Her Three Kids in a Heated Car While She Went Shopping
After a kind Samaritan assisted in rescuing her three children from the scorching car, the mother who had left them inside for almost an hour while shopping in San Antonio, Texas, was taken into custody by the police.
According to the San Antonio Police Department’s preliminary investigation, officers were called to the scene by a passerby who noticed that youngsters were inside a turned-off vehicle. Within the car, first responders found a 1-month-old, a 2-year-old, and a 4-year-old.
The department reported that the mother of the children, who is the suspect, was present at the scene and said she entered a store without realizing how long she had been gone. “According to the information obtained, the kids spent about fifty minutes in the car.”
According to the article, Angela Garza-Amador was charged with three charges of abandoning or endangering a child after her arrest on June 28. Based on a bond, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office released her on June 29.
It’s not known if Garza-Amador is represented by counsel.
A little boy in the car next to her caught her attention as she was making her way toward a children’s apparel store, according to the woman who saved the kids and recorded the incident on camera, according to CNN affiliate KENS.
She claimed to have followed her “mother’s instincts” and checked inside the vehicle after noticing another child there. She then informed the store staff to dial 911. She then attempted to open the car door and discovered that it was unlocked. She assisted the kids as she waited for emergency personnel to show up.
“You know, the boy was crying and he was sweating like crazy. To me, it felt like he was gasping for air, as if they were already about to pass out,” the unnamed woman told KENS. Many parents say to their children, “Oh, it’s OK, I’ll be right back,” yet a lot can happen in that short amount of time.
As the three-year-old boy yells and struggles to breathe, at least three ladies can be seen in the video assisting with the three kids’ exit from the car, including removing a baby from its car seat.
She said, “I live across town, and I hadn’t been to that store in ten years.” “It feels like God sent me there specifically to help those kids.”
At the time, the San Antonio region had a temperature of 98 to 100 degrees. According to a National Weather Service graphic, the temperature inside an automobile can rise to 130 degrees after an hour, even in situations where the outside temperature is 93 degrees.
According to the preliminary police report, the kids were taken to a hospital for treatment and were supposed to be released that same day.
According to authorities, the event was reported to Child Protective Services.
A representative for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told CNN, “I can confirm there was no open case regarding this family when the report of this incident came in, even though details of investigations are confidential according to law.” “The children were placed in the care of family instead of under the custody of CPS.”
Kids and Car Safety, an organization that studies and compiles data on car deaths, reports that at least seven children have died in overheated cars in 2024. Since 1990, at least 1,090 kids have perished in hot automobiles across the country.
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