NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE
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York Regional Police have charged a 37-year-old woman after she left her infant unattended in a hot car that was parked in the City of Richmond Hill.
On Sunday, July 21, 2019, at 8 p.m., police were called to the parking lot of a pharmacy located at 9275 Bayview Ave. for a report of an unattended baby screaming in a parked car. When officers arrived, firefighters with Richmond Hill Fire and Emergency Services had removed the one-year-old infant from the parked vehicle and were assessing his medical condition. The outside temperature was 29C. The infant appeared to be in distress and sweating and was transported to hospital as a precaution.
The Children’s Aid Society has been engaged and the infant was turned over to family members at the hospital.
The mother of the child was located by police inside of the pharmacy where she was placed under arrest. In a search incident to arrest officers located stolen property and discovered that she was wanted on a warrant. The name of the accused is not being released in order to protect the identity of the child.
Charged:
- A 37-year-old woman from the Town of Newmarket
Charges:
- Abandoning child
- Theft under $5,000
- Possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000
The accused has been held in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Newmarket on Monday, July 22, 2019.
Under The Child and Family Services Act, any child under the age of 10 who has been left unattended, under any circumstances, or for any length of time, may be considered to be at risk. Any parent or guardian leaving a child under 10 years of age unattended could face charges under the Child and Family Services Act or under the Criminal Code of Canada.
York Regional Police would like to remind citizens that you should not leave children or your pets unattended in vehicles on hot or cold days. In the summer, the interior of vehicles heat up quickly and will reach temperatures exceeding the outside air. Children and pets can quickly become overheated and dehydrated resulting in serious injury or death. If you see a child left unattended or a pet in a hot car and they appear to be in distress, call 9-1-1.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police #2 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7241, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips, or leave an anonymous tip online.
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