HEBER CITY, Utah — A Utah mother was arrested Monday by Heber City police after officials say she left her child in a hot car for over an hour. Eliana Marcela Suaza Argote, 34, faces a charge of child abuse.
According to court documents, on Monday at 9:11 a.m., officers were called for a welfare check at the Driver's License Division complex in the city. The caller told first responders they saw a small silver car sitting in the parking lot, engine off, with a small child sitting in it.
When officers arrived, they found a child crying in the backseat of the car, lying down with his shirt off. The officer checked the door and found it unlocked. The officer in court documents described feeling hot air escape the vehicle when he opened the vehicle.
Officers spoke to the boy, who said he was crying due to being hot. Police say the boy was drenched in sweat and looked sluggish. When paramedics arrived, they described the child as lethargic.
Police took the child to a shaded area and provided him with water and candy while others searched for his mother inside the Driver's License Division complex. When detectives were able to find her, 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. In court documents, officers estimate the child was alone in the vehicle for over 68 minutes.
