A baby girl was left in a hot car for at least three hours before she was rescued by a police officer, according to a spokesperson for the department.
The discovery was made at an apartment block in Suitland, Maryland, on Tuesday.
Corporal Darryl Wormuth was on patrol in the area when he discovered a man lying face down in the grass. He had first responders called to the scene,where the man was treated and taken to the hospital.
Wormuth noticed that the man had a car key fob on a lanyard around his neck, and tried to locate the vehicle to determine if he had arrived by car or any ID.
When that was unsuccessful, Wormuth accompanied the conscious but unresponsive man to the hospital, according to a release from the police.
He said that “something just kept nagging at my mind” when he returned to the area, roughly three hours later – and he eventually began to hear music coming from a parked car.
When he went up to the vehicle, he noticed the window on the driver’s side had been opened slightly and the engine running – and after looking through the window, he noticed the little girl in the back seat.
The girl was strapped into the car seat. According to Wormuth, he couldn’t tell if she was moving so he rang for backup.
Once he learned that she was breathing, he rang the apartment complex manager. Responding offers and the complex manager gave the little girl food and water.
An image shared by the police shows that the temperature in the car was around 81F, which is approximately 27C.
There was a phone in the car, with a number of missed calls. Officers were able to reach the little girl’s grandmother, who soon arrive at the scene to bring her home.
Police say that the man who was discovered earlier in the day was a relative of the toddler’s and had been caring for her.
He has since been charged with reckless endangerment and a related unattended child charge.
