MANCHESTER, IOWA – Locking a child unattended in a car is never a good idea, especially intentionally for punishment, an Iowa woman found out.
On July 7, 2016 the Manchester, Iowa Police Department received a complaint of a child just 3 years of age left in a car unattended. The car left the scene prior to law enforcement’s arrival. An investigation by police, however, revealed a woman had placed the child in the car because the child was acting up during supper at the Sunset restaurant.
The child was left in a locked car while its mother, revealed as 39-year-old Christin Kay Pasker, returned to the restaurant to finish supper.
As a result of her actions, Pasker was arrested on July 13, 2016 on a charge of child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.
WebMD.com says more than 600 kids have died in hot cars since 1990. “There is no safe amount of time to leave children alone in the car,” Nathan Allen, MD, an emergency medicine doctor at the University of Chicago, said.
According to SafeCar.gov, if you see a child alone in a car, don’t worry about getting involved in someone else’s business—protecting children is everyone’s business; besides, “Good Samaritan” laws offer legal protection for those who offer assistance in an emergency.
- Don’t wait more than a few minutes for the driver to return.
- If the child is not responsive or is in distress, immediately:
- Call 911.
- Get the child out of the car.
- Spray the child with cool water (not in an ice bath).
- If the child is responsive:
- Stay with the child until help arrives.
- Have someone else search for the driver or ask the facility to page them.
- Red, hot, and moist or dry skin
- No sweating
- Strong, rapid pulse or slow, weak pulse
- Nausea
- Confusion or strange behavior
