4 children left in hot car in Phoenix, father arrested, police say

The temperature inside the car was around 125 degrees, police said.

PHOENIX — Four children were left in a car, not running, in a Phoenix parking lot on Thursday afternoon in triple digit heat while their father was inside of an adult store for almost an hour, Phoenix police said.

RELATED: Arizona ranks fourth in nation for most hot car deaths

Phoenix police officers responded to the parking lot of a business near 24th and Washington streets around 3:40 p.m. on Thursday regarding a car, not running, with multiple children inside. Police said the windows of the car were all rolled up. They had received a call from a concerned citizen.

When officers got to the car, they found the children and were able to get them out of the vehicle and provide them with water. The temperature inside the car was around 125 degrees, police said. They said the internal temperature of all four children was around 100 degrees.

“There was elements of heat exposure, you know, pink, red skin, sweating, crying, that kind of thing that kind of showed officers the severity of where this could have gone,” said Sgt. Rob Scherer with the Phoenix Police Department.

All four children were taken to a nearby hospital for precautionary reasons. They are all expected to be okay.

The father of the children, 38-year-old Ascencio Largo, was arrested after being found inside the adult store, police said. Police learned the father had been in the business just shy of an hour before police arrival.

“Officers originally saw him and asked him, ‘Hey, is that your car?’ And he denied it being his car. That’s troublesome. Also, obviously, once it’s clear those are his kids and and that’s dad,” Scherer said. “It’s wild to me that 50 minutes wasn’t enough time to turn this into some sort of tragedy. As a father, I can’t wrap my head around it to be honest.”

Largo was booked on eight felonies related to the incident, police said. 

“They’re inside of a car for upwards of an hour, which I can’t even imagine what they, time wise, felt. To be really hot, elements of heat affecting them, and then you’re also now seeing officers put your dad in custody? I mean, the trauma associated with that is just profound,” Scherer said.

The Department of Child Safety is also investigating. 

Phoenix PD urge all parents to never leave anyone, especially children, in the car.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has prosecuted dozens of cases involving hot car deaths. They provide the following facts on their website as a reminder:

>> This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. Stay with 12News for the latest.

You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere, thanks to the 12News+ app! 

The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV. 

12News+  showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. 

Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives. 

Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for “12 News KPNX.” 

Amazon Fire TV: Search for “12 News KPNX” to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app. 

On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.  

On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device  

The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like “Today in AZ” and “12 News” and our daily lifestyle program, “Arizona Midday”—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.  

12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. 

Source link