A 7-year-old Colorado girl was forced to smash her way out of a dangerously hot car after police say her grandfather left her inside while he shopped at Walmart.
Eddie Espinoza, 62, is facing child abuse charges following the July 6 incident at a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Thornton, Colorado, according to local ABC affiliate KMGH.
Police said the child had been locked inside Espinoza’s vehicle for at least 20 minutes as temperatures outside hovered around 90 degrees. Firefighters later estimated that the temperature inside the car had climbed above 150 degrees.
As the girl began to overheat, she reportedly found a mallet inside the vehicle and used it to smash the front passenger-side window.
A photo released by the Thornton Police Department showed the shattered window after the child’s desperate escape.
Bystanders rushed over and helped pull the girl from the vehicle before waiting with her for emergency crews to arrive.
The child was treated for minor injuries caused by the broken glass. Authorities did not report any serious heat-related injuries.
Officers responded to the Walmart at 850 E. 88th Avenue after receiving a report that a child was trapped inside a vehicle.
Espinoza was interviewed and taken into custody at the scene. Police said he admitted that he had left his granddaughter in the car while he went inside the store to shop.
The case comes as child safety officials continue warning families about the deadly speed at which parked vehicles can heat up, even when outdoor temperatures do not seem extreme.
The National Safety Council reported that at least 12 children have died from heatstroke in vehicles across the United States so far this year. On average, about 37 children younger than 15 die every year after being left inside hot vehicles.
Espinoza is now facing a child abuse charge in connection with the incident.
Thornton, Colorado is full of trashy spiks. They are too stupid to know not to leave a child in a hot car.