Bergen Officers Describe Rescuing Toddler Left In Hot Van For Over 30 Minutes
HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A woman stood charged with endangering the welfare of a child Friday, after allegedly leaving the 2-year-old in a hot car while she shopped at the Costco in Hackensack, New Jersey.
As CBS2's Christine Sloan reported, cellphone video showed frantic customers trying to save the little boy, who had been left in a minivan in the sweltering heat in the Costco parking lot.
Sources said the boy was left in the van for more than 30 minutes, with just a couple of windows cracked open. His mother, Chaeyoung Lim-Kim was shopping inside – even buying goodies at the food stand.
"I knew that I had to get into that vehicle as soon as possible, in order to save that child," said Bergen County Sheriff's Officer Richard Carrino.
Carrino and Bergen County Sheriff's Officer Sonya Beikier were dispatched to the scene, after good Samaritans Rafael Rodriguez and his fiancée got a hold of the store manager.
The manager also tried to help.
"Before I even approached the vehicle, I could hear the child screaming and crying, so I immediately ran to try and see where the child was in the vehicle," Carrino said.
The cellphone video showed Carrino looking inside before smashing the window, and then using his steel-tipped baton to shatter the glass.
"I did it on the passenger's side to avoid getting any glass on the child," he said.
"He was soaking wet - he was absolutely soaking wet," added Beikier.
Officer Beikier held the child, giving him water, as paramedics arrived – thankful that the boy was all right.
"I have a 2-year-old at home myself, so just to get him calm, because he did not want to stop crying," she said.
The boy's mother finally showed up with her other child, a 4-year-old, and a full cart. She apologized, but the officers and witnesses were not impressed.
"She just said, 'I'm sorry,' it looks like she didn't speak English," Rodriguez said. "The police officer told her: 'How can you say you're sorry? Your child could've been dead.'"
On Friday, CBS2's Sloan found an empty car that had been sitting in the same Costco parking lot for more than 30 minutes. Sloan and her crew asked the owner if they could take the temperature inside – and it read 130 degrees.
Sloan was sweating, and she was in the car only 10 minutes with the windows cracked open.
"Hopefully, they get the message that it's not a good idea to leave your child, or pet, or anything that may be living in a vehicle on these days that are excessively hot," Carrino said.
The boy has been placed in his father's custody. CBS2 was unable to get comment from the family, but New York State Child Protective Services is investigating, and the mother will have to appear in court.
