Charges have been laid against two parents after a two-month old baby girl was left unattended inside a vehicle in a parking lot in the City of Markham.
On Tuesday, July 19, 2016, at 6:18 p.m., York Regional Police responded to a call from a concerned citizen regarding a baby who had been left unattended for at least 15 minutes in a hot car in a Costco parking lot in the area of Highway 7 and Woodbine Avenue.
Police arrived on scene and were forced to smash the window of the vehicle to rescue the baby, who was showing signs of distress. The infant was treated by paramedics at the scene. The baby’s parents were located and have been charged with Leaving a Child Unattended under the Child and Family Services Act.
The names of the parents will not be released to protect the identity of the child.
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 #5 District Criminal Investigations Bureau at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7541, or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS, or leave an anonymous tip online at www.1800222tips.com, or text your tip to CRIMES (274637) starting with the word YORK.
(Source: York Regional Police) |