A mother was arrested in San Antonio for leaving her three kids in a hot car for nearly an hour while she shopped.
A kind passerby rescued the children and called the police.
The police arrived after getting the call, according to the San Antonio Police Department’s initial report.
They found a 1-month-old, 2-year-old, and 4-year-old in the car.
The mother said she didn’t realize she had been in the store for so long, according to the police. The kids were left in the car for about 50 minutes.
Angela Garza–Amador was arrested on June 28. She faces three charges of abandoning/endangering a child. She was released on bond the next day, as per the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
It’s unknown if she has a lawyer.
The woman who rescued the children and filmed the incident told CNN’s local affiliate KENS she saw a young boy in the car and felt compelled to check further.
She saw another child in the car and asked store employees to call 911. She then opened the unlocked car door and helped the kids while waiting for the police to arrive. “The boy was sweating a lot and crying. It seemed like he was struggling to breathe,” the rescuer, who wished to stay anonymous, told KENS. “Many parents think it’s okay to leave kids in the car briefly, but it’s very dangerous.”
The video shows at least three women helping the children, including taking a baby out of a car seat, as the three-year-old boy cried and struggled to breathe.
“I hadn’t been to that store in ten years. I feel like God sent me there to help those kids,” the rescuer added.
The kids were taken to the hospital for treatment and were expected to be released the same day, as per the police report.
Child protective services were informed about the incident.
A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told CNN there was no open case regarding this family before this incident. The kids were placed with relatives, not CPS.