Father arrested after allegedly leaving 2-year-old in hot car
By Jennifer McLogan
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New York (WCBS) — A Suffolk County father is facing charges after he allegedly left his young child alone in a car in Tuesday’s extreme heat.
The son is OK and has been released to his mother’s care.
Toddler left in booster seat in 100-degree weather
According to officials, the 2-year-old boy was left strapped into a booster seat in 100-degree temperatures while his father shopped in a Centereach Walmart for 20 minutes.
A security guard spotted the toddler and called 911.
A team of Centereach Long Island paramedics arrived within three minutes. Chief Joe Losquadro says EMT training kicked in.
“If the child appears to be in any distress, we don’t force it open. We smash the windows,” he said.
“We don’t consider ourselves heroes at all. We do this because we want to help our community,” paramedic Kevin Reichardt said. “Be the smiling face for someone when it’s the worst day of their life.”
They transported the young victim to Stony Brook Children’s Hospital.
“All the stars aligned during this moment, that they were able to find [the child] and we were able to get there, provide care,” Reichardt said.
40 children per year die in hot vehicles, experts say
Police arrested the father, 36-year-old Keniarold Andre, of North Patchogue. He apologized to the district attorney, who charged him with endangering the welfare of a child and issued a stay-away order of protection.
Andre is due back before a judge July 2. Child Protective Services and family court are now involved in the case.
Paramedics hope this incident will serve as a lesson for the toddler’s family.
“We are still seeing an average of 40 children per year dying in hot vehicles,” said Sue Auriemma, with Kids and Car Safety.
She said most of these deaths are accidental.
“Eighty percent of the temperature increase happens in the first 10 minutes,” she said. “A child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult body.”
That can cause brain damage or death, experts say.
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