Florida mom arrested after leaving kids in hot SUV during Walmart run
Witness finds children crying alone in a parked vehicle
Florida woman has been arrested after police said she left her two young children alone in a hot vehicle while shopping inside a Walmart.
According to an arrest affidavit, 33-year-old Lovenia Quintasha Measha Brooks left the children unattended in a red Mitsubishi SUV parked in a fire lane outside a Walmart in Melbourne, Florida, on July 11.
Witness finds children alone in SUV
Police said a concerned bystander called authorities after spotting the children alone inside the parked vehicle. The SUV was not running, although its windows were rolled down.
The witness told officers that one of the children, an infant, was visibly upset and crying while Brooks was inside the store. Surveillance footage and witness statements indicated she was away from the vehicle for about nine minutes.
Authorities noted the heat index was approximately 96.6 degrees Fahrenheit at the time, with a heat advisory in effect.
Mother says she went inside for one item
According to police, Brooks returned to the SUV and drove away, nearly causing a collision before officers stopped her nearby.
Investigators said one child was improperly secured in a rear-facing car seat, while the other was not restrained.
Brooks told officers she had gone into Walmart to buy PediaSure for one of the children and believed she had only been inside briefly. She acknowledged she should have taken the children with her and said she "didn't leave them as if she wasn't coming back."
Child neglect charges filed
Brooks was arrested on two counts of child neglect without great bodily harm.
In addition to the criminal charges, police issued citations for leaving children unattended in a vehicle and for child restraint violations.
She was booked into the Brevard County Jail, later posted bond and was released. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 6.
