Mother intentionally left her 4-year-old daughter in overheated vehicle with the windows rolled up because the child refused to accompany her while shopping; arrested
Phoenix, Arizona -An Arizona mother has been arrested after she allegedly left her 4-year-old daughter in a sweltering car while she went shopping. The outside temperature was a blistering 110 degrees Fahrenheit, yet the car was turned off, leading to interior temperatures soaring to 129 degrees.
N. Yazzie, 32, decided to leave her young daughter in the car, parked outside a shopping center. The child was found in a state of distress by two witnesses, who noticed her excessively sweating and alone in the locked vehicle with the windows up. These witnesses immediately contacted emergency services, reporting their concerns about the child’s well-being.
Responding to the call, first responders observed Yazzie exiting a store and approaching the vehicle. They witnessed her open the door to where the little girl was evidently disoriented, pale, and lethargic. The child was quickly removed from the car and given water, which she grabbed aggressively, signaling her desperate need for hydration. She was then placed in an air-conditioned police vehicle to recover.
Police detailed that the young girl was dressed in long cotton pants, which could have contributed to her overheating. Upon questioning, Yazzie admitted to leaving her daughter in the car intentionally. She told officers that her daughter had not wanted to go into the store with her. Despite this, she acknowledged to the authorities that she knew the temperature was too high to leave her child unattended in the vehicle without air conditioning.
Yazzie’s explanation for not leaving the vehicle running was that she did not want her daughter to drive away, a reason that did little to mitigate the severity of the situation. She was arrested and charged with one count of child abuse. During the police interview, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit, Yazzie confessed to her awareness of the risk, stating, “The defendant admitted she knew it was wrong to place her daughter inside of a locked vehicle without the air conditioning on and to leave her unattended.”
Following her arrest, Yazzie was booked into jail, with her bond set at $15,000. The case has highlighted the extreme dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, especially during high temperatures. This incident serves as a critical reminder of the rapid and lethal heating that can occur in parked cars.
