A Florida woman was arrested after she left her young grandson alone in a hot car while she went grocery shopping at Publix.
Elena Grady, 63, was jailed at the Volusia County Branch on a charge of child abuse resulting in bodily injury after her 2-year-old grandson was found left unattended in a hot car in a Publix parking lot on Tuesday.
Jail records show Grady was released just after midnight Wednesday on $3,000 bail.
Parents who lost daughter warn of ‘preventable tragedy’ after child dies from heatstroke in car
Elena Grady, 63, was arrested and charged with child abuse resulting in serious injury after she allegedly left her grandson in a hot car while she went grocery shopping at Publix. (Volusia County Branch Jail)
Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Publix on Roscommon Drive in Ormond Beach around 3 p.m. Tuesday after store managers noticed a child alone in a parked vehicle, police said in a Facebook post.
The child “appeared lethargic” inside the car, but the car was “parked in direct sunlight, with no shade, the engine wasn’t running and the windows were open,” the post said.
According to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, Grady’s 2-year-old grandson was allegedly left inside a hot car in a Publix parking lot for 16 minutes in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. (iStock)
The Publix manager reached inside the vehicle, unlocked the vehicle and took the toddler inside the store to cool off, after which Grady approached the managers inside the store and “took custody of the child,” according to the complaint.
“[Grady] “The girl left the Publix but was later located by deputies who checked on her and found her to be in good condition,” the sheriff’s office said.
Indiana couple left kids in 125 degree heat for over 40 minutes while shopping at Walmart: police
When the toddler was left in the car, the temperature outside was 91 degrees. Heat index 101 degreesThe sheriff’s office said it was also determined the toddler had been alone in the vehicle for approximately 16 minutes.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office posted a warning on Facebook about how quickly temperatures can rise inside a car with the engine off, saying that on a 90-degree day, the temperature inside a car could reach 120 degrees within 30 minutes and 138 degrees after 90 minutes.
On Tuesday around 3 p.m., Volusia County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Publix in Ormond Beach after a report of a child alone in a hot car. (Volusia Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
Click here to get the FOX News app
“Avoid tragedy and never leave children, pets or vulnerable adults in a hot car, even if you only plan to leave for a few minutes,” the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.
