Mom arrested for leaving child in 129-degree car, cites fear of “driving away”

Mom arrested for leaving child in 129-degree car, cites fear of “driving away”

A 32-year-old Arizona mother faces child abuse charges. She allegedly left her 4-year-old daughter in a sweltering car while she went shopping. Nichole Dawn Yazzie was arrested on Saturday after police found her daughter locked inside the vehicle. The vehicle reached an internal temperature of 129 degrees despite the outside temperature being 110 degrees.

The incident occurred outside a shopping center near Southern Avenue and Stapley Drive in Mesa, approximately 15 miles from Phoenix. Witnesses noticed the child alone in the car with the windows rolled up and immediately contacted emergency services. According to reports, the child appeared distressed, excessively sweating, and disoriented .

When authorities arrived, they observed Yazzie exiting a store and heading towards the vehicle. The child, described as pale and lethargic, was quickly removed and given water, which she grabbed “aggressively.” Yazzie admitted to intentionally leaving the car off despite the extreme heat, claiming she didn’t want her daughter to “drive away” if the vehicle was running .

Yazzie was booked into the Maricopa County Jail with a $15,000 bond . The police have underscored the severe dangers of leaving children in hot cars, noting the rapid rise in temperature that can lead to fatal outcomes within minutes.

Source: Law&Crime

Mom arrested for leaving child in 129-degree car, cites fear of “driving away”