A Nebraska police captain and her partner have been cited for child abuse after allegedly leaving their 2-year-old daughter alone inside a locked minivan while they went fishing.
Mayde McGuire, 54, a captain with the Lincoln Police Department, and her partner, Mary Tobiassen, 49, were fishing at Pawnee Lake near Lincoln on Sunday, Aug. 23, when another couple made the disturbing discovery.
Authorities said the couple walked past a black minivan in the parking lot and heard a young child “crying and screaming” inside.
They quickly realized the toddler was alone and the vehicle was locked, prompting them to call 911.
Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said the child had been left inside the van by herself for at least 28 minutes.
The temperature outside was about 78 degrees, but Wagner warned that the inside of a closed vehicle can become dangerously hot in a short period of time.
McGuire reportedly removed the toddler from the van before deputies arrived.
Fortunately, authorities said the 2-year-old was not injured and was later returned to her parents.
The couple who discovered the girl said the scene was frightening.
Izabella Glover told local station KOLN that the toddler had managed to get out of her car seat, crawl toward the front of the minivan and begin banging on the window.
Glover said the little girl appeared to be “in distress” and seemed to be desperately looking for her parents.
McGuire was off duty at the time of the incident.
Authorities also administered a preliminary breath test to McGuire at the scene, which allegedly showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.108.
An investigation was launched, and McGuire was placed on leave from the Lincoln Police Department.
Both McGuire and Tobiassen were cited for misdemeanor child abuse. Neither woman was arrested.
Officials have not publicly said whether either woman has entered a plea or hired an attorney.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department said no additional updates were immediately available.
The case remains under investigation.
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