Date: July 24, 2013, 1:25pm
Location:  4320 S. Alameda Street  http://goo.gl/maps/w0Qss
Event:  Abandoning/Endangering a Child 
Case Number:  1307240071 

Officers were called to the shopping center parking lot for a one-year-old left inside a vehicle.  The child had been left in her car seat, while her 33-year-old mother did her grocery shopping.  The child was discovered by the mother and a store employee who was helping her load the groceries inside the vehicle.  The child accompanied by her mother was taken to Driscoll Children’s Hospital.  The child was treated and released into her mother’s care.

Detectives with the Police Department’s Child Protection Unit are carefully investigating this incident to evaluate if criminal charges are appropriate. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services have been notified and will conduct their own investigation.  Once the investigation is complete it will be presented to the Nueces County District Attorney’s Office.

Corpus Christi Police urge parents and child caregivers to prevent hyperthermia in a few ways to avoid heat related injuries or death. Never leave a child alone in a vehicle and consistently leave all unattended vehicles locked. Create reminders and habits such as leaving a purse, cell phone, or item you need at your next stop near the child. You can also leave your child’s favorite toy or a bottle on the passenger front seat as a visual reminder.  Finally, take action and call 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a vehicle.