By Raul Castillo
Jun 18, 2024, 16:41 PM EDT
In Mesa, Arizona, a 32-year-old mother was arrested after she allegedly left her 4-year-old daughter in a car in extreme heat while shopping. Nichole Dawn Yazzie faces child abuse charges, according to records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The incident occurred Saturday night, around 7:45 p.m., when Yazzie left her daughter alone in a vehicle parked at a shopping center near Southern Avenue and Stapley Drive. The outside temperature at the time was 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Two witnesses alerted authorities after seeing the girl alone in the car with the windows up and the engine off. The girl appeared to be in distress and was sweating profusely, Glendale, Arizona radio station KTAR reported.
Emergency crews quickly arrived at the scene and observed Yazzie leaving a store and heading toward the car. Police immediately intervened and removed the girl from the vehicle. The little girl was disoriented, pale and lethargic, according to authorities.
The officers offered her water, which the girl quickly drank, and took her to an air-conditioned patrol car to stabilize her condition, Law&Crime detailed.
Temperature inside the vehicle
First responders determined that the temperature inside the vehicle had reached 129 degrees Fahrenheit. Yazzie admitted that she knew it was too hot to leave her daughter in the car, but she did it anyway. The police reported that the girl was wearing long cotton pants, which aggravated the extreme heat situation.
Yazzie explained that the girl did not want to accompany her to the store and that she did not leave the air conditioning on because she did not want her daughter to drive the car. This explanation was included in the probable cause affidavit obtained by KTAR.
Yazzie was taken to the Maricopa County Jail and her bond was set at $15,000. Her next court hearing is scheduled for July 22, according to the outlet.
Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of not leaving children or pets in closed vehicles, especially during the summer months, as temperatures inside a car can quickly rise, turning the vehicle into a dangerous and potentially deadly environment.
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