Simi Valley police, Ventura County firefighters race to free baby girl accidentally locked in car

A scary situation in the parking lot of Trader Joe's in Simi Valley was a timely reminder to be careful not to leave children or pets in cars during hot summer days.

Simi Valley police say a Trader Joe's employee called them Monday to help a frantic mother whose vehicle auto-locked with her young daughter inside. Police officers and Ventura County firefighters rushed to the parking lot, and it became an informal race to see who could get the door open first.

"It was firefighters on one side and police on the other as each team attempted to pop their door locks first," a Facebook post from the police department said. "We had a secret weapon in Commander Buckley and since the firefighters didn't establish any game rules, we deployed his special set of skills."

While the mother was reported to be frantic, the girl inside the car didn't appear to be in distress. In fact, police say they saw her laughing and cheerleading their efforts as if it were a show put on for her enjoyment.

Police say Buckley popped his door look, just as firefighters claimed theirs open. As the girl and her mom were reunited, police conceded to accepting a tie in the friendly competition.

Temperatures in Simi Valley reached 98 degrees Monday, and similar temperatures are forecast for much of Southern California all week. Authorities say drivers should remain vigilant against accidentally leaving children in the backseat of a car, because the interior temperature can rise by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes and heatstroke can begin when a core body temperature reaches 107 degrees, according to the NHTSA.