PEARLAND, Texas – Two children were taken to the hospital after they were left in a running vehicle in a closed garage in Pearland around 4:35 p.m. Thursday, police said.
The mother possibly left the vehicle running to allow it to cool down in the garage at 2920 Oak Road, police said.
"She was panicking hard," said neighbor Michael Sam who says he saw the mother running outside screaming. "She said, 'My baby! My baby!"
Pearland police said the children, ages 8 years and 9 months, had passed out, but were breathing.
"She said she was going in the house for a few minutes and they were in the car in the garage ... . She said it was probably no longer than five minutes and she came out," Sam said. "I was scared. The little girl, she couldn't respond to nothing. [I was] trying to get her to squeeze my hand and she couldn't respond."
Next-door neighbor Gloria Ruffin said first responders came to her home.
"They want to make sure I wasn't asleep or unconscious," Ruffin said.
Capt. Onesio Lopez said leaving children in a running car in an enclosed area is a "recipe for disaster." Parents should always try to bring their children inside no matter how long a stop would take, Lopez said.
Lopez said no charges have been filed. "There is every indication that this is just a terrible accident," Lopez said.
Lopez said the children are at the hospital and ..are in good condition,,, but he urges parents to be more careful.
"It could have been really bad when you're dealing with children this young, even a small amount of carbon monoxide can be deadly," Lopez said.
The case is still under investigation.
