She ‘forgot’ her child in a car for three hours. Now she’s being charged with child abuse.
A Broward County woman was arrested and charged with child abuse Thursday after leaving her child in the car for three hours, according to an arrest report.
Shantrell Mitchell, 32, was arrested by Fort Lauderdale police on charges she intentionally left her child strapped to a car seat Tuesday while grocery shopping, the report states. Mitchell, who faces one count of aggravated child abuse, told detectives she forgot her child was in the car.
Tuesday’s temperatures maxed out at 90, but the heat index was more than 100.
According to the report, video surveillance footage shows Mitchell locking the door on the side of the car where her child was seated before going inside BJ’s Wholesale Club.
Three hours later, she returned to find her child unresponsive. She immediately cranked up the air conditioning and poured iced tea on the child’s head.
By the time paramedics arrived, the child had a 105 body temperature and was having febrile seizures. The child’s condition improved once taken to Joe DiMaggio Hospital.
Mitchell denied purposefully leaving her child alone but an investigation led to her arrest two days later.
Broward County Sheriff’s Office records show she is being held at the main jail in downtown Fort Lauderdale on a $10,000 bond.
This comes two weeks after the death of a toddler at an Oakland Park daycare. Four children have died in Florida from being left in a hot car this year alone, according to data published by KidsandCars.org.
