'What's the big deal?': Man faces charges over leaving child in hot car while in restaurant
A man is facing child abuse charges after allegedly leaving a young child locked in a car during scorching temperatures as he went to eat lunch.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office was alerted on October 10 over an incident involving Dillon Roberts, who is believed to have left a child unattended while visiting a Hardee's restaurant in Chipley, Florida.
On arrival, an officer found the child inside the restaurant with Roberts, 20, but noticed the child was red in the face and their clothes drenched with sweat, Northwest Florida Daily News reported.
When the officer questioned Roberts he became angered and asked: "What's the big deal? I cracked the window."
Roberts had left the two rear windows of the vehicle slightly opened but the WCSO concluded “Roberts intentionally left the child unattended in an extremely hot vehicle for approximately 20 to 30 minutes as he waited inside in the air-conditioning.”
The reported temperature at the time exceeded 32 degrees.
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He was arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail.
“The outcome of leaving a child in a vehicle can be devastating,” WCSO Sheriff Kevin Crews said.
Shocking figures show more than 2,200 babies were rescued from hot cars across NSW in 2016, calculating at around six babies a day.
NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said temperatures inside a car after more than an hour can soar 40 degrees higher than the outside temperature.