A Pennsylvania father is facing multiple felony charges after police said he left two young children locked inside a hot car while he went to get a massage.
Jerry Rempuszewski, 32, has been charged with two counts each of leaving an unattended child in a motor vehicle, endangering the welfare of children, and recklessly endangering another person, according to local reports.
Police said the children, Rempuszewski’s 5-year-old stepson and 6-month-old daughter, were found alone inside his locked Dodge Dart in Springdale, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by WTAE, officers with the Springdale Borough Police Department responded to the area near Glen’s Custard after the children were discovered inside the vehicle.
When officers arrived, they found both children sweating with red faces. The 5-year-old boy was awake, but the baby girl was reportedly unresponsive while still breathing.
Police said they tried to communicate with the boy and asked him to unlock the car, but he was unable to do so.
Officers then managed to reach through a window that had been left slightly open and get inside the vehicle to rescue the children.
Authorities believed the temperature inside the car was around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
As officers were helping the children, Rempuszewski was allegedly seen walking out of Golden Wellness Bodywork Massage, a massage parlor located across the street from Glen’s Custard.
When he approached officers, police said he claimed he had been getting ice cream for the children. Officers placed him in handcuffs.
Investigators later spoke with employees at the massage parlor, who said Rempuszewski walked in without an appointment about 36 minutes before the children were found. He allegedly requested a 30-minute session.
According to the complaint, surveillance cameras showed Rempuszewski entering the massage parlor by himself.
The children were taken to the hospital for treatment. Their mother, who was at work at the time, was contacted by police.
Rempuszewski was booked into the Allegheny County Jail. He was later released after posting 10% of his $2,500 bond in cash.
His next court date is scheduled for June 24.
