Monday, July 8, 2024 -A mother has been arrested after she left her three children in a hot car in San Antonio, Texas, for nearly an hour while shopping.
A good Samaritan helped rescue the
children from the vehicle and called police officers to alert them.
Officers were dispatched to the
location after receiving the call, the San Antonio Police Department said in
its preliminary report.
First responders discovered a
1-month-old, 2-year-old, and 4-year-old in the car.
“The mother of the children (suspect)
was at the scene and stated she went inside a store and did not realize how
long she was gone,” the department said. “Based on information gathered, the
children were in the car for approximately 50 minutes.”
Angela Garza–Amador was arrested on
June 28 and charged with three counts of abandoning/endangering a child,
according to the report. According to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, she
was released on bond on June 29.
It is unclear if Garza–Amador has
legal representation.
The woman who rescued the children and took
a video of the moment told CNN affiliate KENS she was
walking toward a children’s clothing store when she noticed a young boy in the
car next to her.
She said she felt her “mother’s
instincts” and decided to looked inside and found another child in the car and
alerted store employees to call 911. She then tried to open the car door and
found it unlocked and helped the children while waiting for first responders to
arrive.
“The boy, he was really sweating
profusely, and you know, was crying. It seemed like he was grasping for air to
me like they were already on that verge,” the woman, who wanted to remain
anonymous, told KENS. “A lot of parents think, ‘Oh, it’s OK, I’ll be
right back,’ but so much can happen in that time frame.”
In the video, at least three women
can be seen helping get the three children out of the car, including a baby
from its car seat, as the three-year-old boy cries while struggling to breathe.
“I live across town, I hadn’t been
there to that store I was going to in 10 years,” she added. “I feel that God
literally sent me over there for those kids.”
The children were transported to a
hospital for treatment and were expected to be discharged from the hospital the
same day, according to the preliminary police report.
Child protective services was
notified of the incident, police said.
“While details of investigations are
confidential according to law, I can confirm there was no open case regarding
this family when the report of this incident came in,” a Texas Department of
Family and Protective Services spokesperson told CNN. “The children were not
placed in CPS care and were placed in the care of family.”
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