HOUSTON – A 30-year-old mother is accused of leaving her children in a hot, locked car on June 17 while she shopped at a west Houston Target, court documents show.
Authorities said Kennison Paige McGrew left her two little boys -- ages 2 and 9 months old -- strapped inside a 2019 Jeep Cherokee with the windows up and the vehicle not running – and then gave two stories to authorities about what happened.
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On the 98-degree day, a good Samaritan called for help and authorities arrived at the 2700 Eldridge Parkway Target store parking lot. Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 5 deputies said McGrew identified herself and told deputies she first said that she thought she left the car engine running when she left her children alone and unsupervised in the car. Documents show she then said that her children were asleep and quiet when she arrived in the parking lot and that she forgot they were in the backseat.
Documents show that, based on Target security footage, she left the children in the vehicle for 40 minutes before law enforcement arrived, broke out a window and found the children sweating and lethargic, their skin hot to the touch.
Court documents also outlined the conditions on that day based on expert input:
“On June 16, 2023, (authorities) utilized the ‘Hot Car Calculator,’ which was created by Lula Bialek, M.D. and Dominik Czernia, Ph.D., to input the known factors from this incident to get an estimated temperature inside the Defendant’s car when the Complainant and his sibling were inside. (Authorities) input that the outside temperature was 98 degrees Fahrenheit, that it was sunny, that the location was Houston, Texas, the car color was dark, and the windows were closed. The calculator estimated that after 40 minutes, the temperature inside the Defendant’s car would have been 136.9 degrees Fahrenheit. The calculator also indicated that after 40 minutes, the internal body temperature of a human would rise to 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit, and one could expect severe sweating, increased heart rate, and children with epilepsy may begin to convulse. After only 20 minutes, one could expect to see effects of hyperthermia. Affiant believes and has reason to believe that the Defendant leaving the Complainant locked in a car for 40 minutes, with the engine turned off and the windows rolled up, placed the Complainant in imminent danger physical impairment, bodily injury, or death.”
The children survived the incident and were treated at the scene. KPRC 2 is reaching out to determine who is caring for the children in this case.
McGrew, who showed up to the scene after authorities arrived, is charged with endangering a child, documents show. She has not yet been arrested and authorities have filed a motion for $25,000 bond.
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Summer car safety tips for families
Open your back door whenever you park to make sure there aren’t any children in the backseats. This is a good habit to keep up.
Make sure everyone knows who is taking the children out of the car. This way there is not any miscommunication between parents or guardians.
Leave an important item in the backseat as a reminder. This could be your phone, laptop or handbag.
Check-in with your childcare provider, so they may call you immediately if a child did not arrive when they were expected to.
How to ensure children do not get into a parked car
Always lock your cars when you exit. You can ask your neighbors and guests to do this too.
Be mindful of where you leave your keys, and make sure children cannot get to them.
If your child is missing, look inside all your vehicles, and in the floorboards and trunks of the cars.
Speak with your child, and show them they can honk the horn if they get locked inside of a car.