A 37-year-old Newmarket woman has been charged after she allegedly left her baby unattended in a car parked outside a pharmacy in Richmond Hill on Sunday night, York Regional Police say.
Officers were called to the pharmacy’s parking lot at 9275 Bayview Ave. at 8 p.m. for a report of an unattended baby screaming in a parked car, police say.
When officers arrived, firefighters from Richmond Hill Fire and Emergency Services had already removed the one-year-old baby from the car and were assessing his medical condition, according to police.
Police say the outdoor temperature at the time was 29 C.
The baby appeared to be in distress and was sweating, police say. The child was transported to hospital as a precaution.
Police say officers found the mother of the child inside the pharmacy, and she was arrested.
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When officers searched the woman, police say they found stolen property and discovered that she was wanted on a warrant.
The woman was subsequently charged with abandoning a child, theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
The accused’s name is not being released to protect the identity of the child, police say.
The 37-year-old woman was held in custody and is scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on Monday.
Anyone with information can contact the York Regional Police No. 2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7241, or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.