Firefighter Saves Child Locked In Hot Car At Queens Shopping Center

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A firefighter may have saved the life of a child locked inside a hot car Thursday in Queens.

It happened around 4 p.m. in a shopping center parking lot off 20^th Avenue in College Point, with temperatures around 90 degrees.

FDNY Firefighter Matthew Clinton said the 4-year-old boy was sweating and screaming that it was hot, so he immediately jumped into action. He borrowed a hammer to smash the window.

Police said the child's father, 42-year-old Geremie Ram, went into a Target store to make a return and was gone for at least 15 minutes. He was charged with reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal possession of a controlled substance, Xanax.

The boy was taken to the hospital in stable condition. He is now in the care of his mother.

The FDNY says you should never leave children alone in a car on a warm day. Opening a window or parking in a shaded area isn't enough to protect them from danger.

In:
• College Point
• Queens
• FDNY
• New York