A Houston mother has been arrested, accused of leaving her four young children unattended in a hot vehicle while she shopped for pizza.
Deputies from Constable Mark Herman’s Office responded to a welfare check on Aug. 1 in the 300 block of E Richey Road.
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Witnesses reported seeing four children left alone in a running but locked vehicle.
Despite the air conditioning being on, it was blowing warm air on a day where outside temperatures reached 95 degrees.
Three of the four children were yelling, sweating, and appearing flushed according to witnesses.
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The mother, Destiny Morales, returned to the vehicle during the investigation and explained she had been buying pizza. The children had been left unattended in the vehicle for 46 minutes. EMS arrived at the scene and evaluated them.
“Morales was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail, charged with child abandonment with intent to return,” stated Constable Mark Herman. “Her bond and court information have not been set at this time.”
This incident follows a troubling trend, as highlighted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, noting that 18 children have died this year after being left or becoming trapped in hot cars, with 13 of those deaths occurring in July alone.
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