Child rescued after locked inside vehicle, mother charged: police
HYATTSVILLE, Md. - A child was rescued from a locked vehicle in Hyattsville Friday morning, according to police.
The 5-year-old girl, police said, was locked in a car on the 3800 block of Oliver Street for several hours while her mother was visiting at a home nearby.
Hyattsville police say the girl is in good spirits and has been placed with another family member while her 29-year-old mother is charged.
FOX 5 spoke with a neighbor Friday afternoon who described what he heard before calling 911.
"The baby was crying. Like, it was bad," the neighbor said.
Police say the good Samaritan made the call around 8:40 a.m. and when officers arrived on the scene, they found a window partially down and were able to reach in to unlock a door.
"I came out, and saw my neighbors. We were wondering whose kid was this," the neighbor said. "We didn’t know whose car it was, um, so we called the cops."
Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers says the actions of neighbors may have saved the little girl’s life.
"We want to thank that person for taking the time, not just to notice something, but taking the time to care and make a difference, and ultimately, probably save this child’s life," Towers said.
The chief also mentioned that charging the mother isn’t a decision the police department takes lightly.
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"This is one of those situations where we don’t take pleasure in charging, but ultimately this is a situation where we can’t take a chance that there will be a second occurrence. People need to realize that there are serious dangers in leaving children, vulnerable adults, or pets in vehicles," Towers said.
The 29-year-old mother from Glen Burnie is being charged with neglect of a minor, unattended child left confined in a vehicle and reckless endangerment, according to police.