EDMONTON – Edmonton police have laid charges against a mother, who allegedly left her eight-year-old daughter alone in the vehicle for over an hour last Friday.
Police say it happened around 8 a.m. at the South Edmonton Common shopping centre. When officers arrived, they found the girl in the backseat, and had her unlock the vehicle.
“Although the young girl was dressed appropriately for winter weather conditions, the vehicle had substantially cooled down,” said Cst. Kamlesh Patel.
The hood and interior of the car were reported to be cold to the touch, according to police, as the temperature was around -8 C that day.
The child told officers she left the vehicle at one point to look for her mother in the store, but returned when she wasn’t able to find her.
Her mother has been charged with causing a child to be in need of intervention under the Child, Youth and Family Act.
“A vehicle is not a babysitter,” said Patel. “Leaving a child unattended in a vehicle goes beyond the weather conditions, whether it is a cold winter day or hot summer day. The safety and well-being of a child should always be the priority.”
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