Parents charged with abandoning their 6 children — including 2 babies — in a hot car for up to 30 minutes while they were in a Wingstop.

Parents Leave Six Kids in Hot Car

A couple from Kansas is facing serious allegations after reportedly leaving their six children, including two infants, in a sweltering car while they were inside a Wingstop for up to half an hour. This incident occurred last week when temperatures were nearing the triple digits.

According to the Salina Police Department, officers were alerted around 2:15 p.m. on a Wednesday. The children had been left alone in a parked vehicle for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, with no air conditioning and only one window slightly open.

When the police arrived, they found two infants, a 7-month-old and a 2-year-old, along with a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a 13-year-old in the car. The vehicle was off, and the temperature inside had climbed to 97 degrees, which felt like 102 with humidity.

The parents, identified as 53-year-old Michael Krueger and 40-year-old Tiffany Krueger, were said to have been in the store without checking on their children during that time, according to witness statements.

As a result, both Michael and Tiffany Krueger were arrested on six counts of aggravated child endangerment. Emergency medical services assessed the kids, and all were taken into protective custody afterward.

As of Monday, the parents remained in custody at the Saline County Jail.

Chad Scoville from the Salina Fire Department emphasized that children are particularly vulnerable to heat, stating, “A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult. They just don’t have the same regulatory abilities.” Scoville also noted that temperatures inside a car can reach dangerous levels quickly. He urged the public to avoid leaving kids or pets in unattended vehicles, no matter how brief the errand may seem.

Interestingly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as mentioned in local reports, indicates that breaking a car’s windows does not significantly help reduce the temperature inside. A thermometer placed in a closed car, for example, showed a rise from 83 degrees to 108 degrees within about 20 minutes.