Four children are lucky to be alive after their father allegedly left them in a hot car in the parking lot of an Arizona adult bookstore.
According to Fox 10, authorities found the children, ages 2, 3, 4, and 7, inside a car shortly after 3:30 p.m. The National Weather Service reported Phoenix temperatures in the triple digits that day.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Rob Scherer said officers acted quickly to save the children.
“They got all the kids out immediately, gave them water. There were signs of distress, you know, color discoloration, you know, skin bright red, sweating.,” he said.
“Clearly, the heat was affecting the children.”
Once the children were safely headed to the hospital for evaluation, police began searching for the vehicle’s owner and the children’s caregiver.
Court documents allege that the children’s father, Ascencio Largo, 38, had been inside The Adult Shoppe near 24th and Madison streets. Law enforcement estimated that Largo had been in the store for close to an hour.
Court documents also noted a smell of alcohol on Largo.
During Largo’s court appearance, Maricopa County Commissioner Jane McLaughlin stated, “The police allege that they went into the store, called out many times. Nobody came out. And they allege that when you came out, you attempted to pretend like it wasn’t your car. It just indicates a strong level of reckless culpability of knowing.”
Police arrested Largo, who is now facing four counts of child abuse and four counts of endangerment.
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[Feature Photo via Phoenix PD]
