A seven-year-old girl in Thornton, Colorado, escaped a car that had reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees Fahrenheit by smashing the window with a mallet. The incident occurred on July 6 when the girl's grandfather, Eddie Espinoza, 62, allegedly left her inside the vehicle while he went shopping at a Walmart Neighborhood Market.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the passenger-side window had been broken. Bystanders had already helped the child out of the car and remained with her until law enforcement arrived. The child sustained minor injuries from the broken glass and received medical treatment at the scene.
Espinoza was taken into custody by the Thornton Police Department last week and faces child abuse charges. He allegedly admitted to leaving his grandchild unattended in the car. It is unclear when he is scheduled to appear in court.
The National Safety Council reports that an average of 37 children under 15 die each year from heatstroke in hot vehicles. This year, there have been at least 12 pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths, with 31 recorded last year.
In a separate incident shortly after, a three-year-old boy in Ponchatoula, Louisiana, died after climbing into an unlocked car on July 10 and being unable to exit. Temperatures outside reached 93F, and the child was found in the vehicle after being inside for approximately 50 minutes. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.