HEBER CITY, Utah — A woman was arrested in Heber City on Monday after she allegedly left her child in a hot car for over an hour.
Just before 9:15 a.m. Heber City police officers were called for a welfare check at the Driver's License Division complex after a caller said they saw a car in the parking lot with the engine off and a small child inside.
When officers arrived, they found the child crying in the backseat of the car, lying down with his shirt off. The officer checked the door and found it unlocked. According to arrest documents, when the officer opened the car, he felt hot air escape.
The boy, who was described as being drenched in sweat and looking sluggish, claimed he was crying because he was hot. Paramedics arrived on the scene and described the child as lethargic.
As police took the child to a shaded area and provided him with water and candy, a search began for his mother, who was inside the Driver's License Division complex. When detectives were able to find Eliana Marcela Suaza Argote, they reported she was taking a driver's license test.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage of the complex and found that Argote could be seen entering the building at 8:02 a.m., and officers estimated the child was alone in the vehicle for over 68 minutes.
Argote, 34, faces a charge of child abuse.
