Four minors were found in a car that had heated up to a staggering 125 degrees while their father was inside an adult store in Phoenix, according to local law enforcement. Ascencio Largo, 38, was arrested and charged with child abuse on Thursday after police received several reports of unattended children in a vehicle. The car was not running and the windows were closed on a day when the outside temperature was 104 degrees.
The Phoenix Police Department reported that officers were dispatched to a business parking lot near 24th Street and Madison Street. Upon arrival, they discovered several children in the car and managed to gain access to the vehicle to secure the children. The children, aged 2, 3, 4, and 7, were removed from the car and placed in an air-conditioned police SUV before being transported to a local hospital.
The internal temperature of the car had reached a dangerous 125 degrees, according to police. The children, all showing signs of heat distress such as skin discoloration and excessive sweating, were found to have internal body temperatures nearing 100 degrees, Phoenix Police Sgt. Rob Scherer reported.
After the children were safely removed from the overheated vehicle, they were given water and placed in an air-conditioned police SUV for transport to a local hospital. Police then contacted Largo, who was inside The Adult Shoppe, an adult store with communal viewing theaters and private rooms.
Officers entered the store and repeatedly called for Largo, who did not respond, according to Maricopa County Commissioner Jane McLaughlin. During his court appearance, McLaughlin described the incident as “shocking” and noted that when Largo finally emerged, he attempted to deny ownership of the car.
McLaughlin also pointed out the recklessness of Largo’s actions, stating, “It’s difficult to say that anybody who grew up in Arizona doesn’t know that children and dogs die in closed cars.” Police reported detecting alcohol on Largo’s breath and noted that his driver’s license required an ignition interlock device, which was not installed in the vehicle. Largo was subsequently charged with four counts of child abuse and four counts of endangerment.
Sadly, deaths from overheating in cars are not rare in the U.S., especially during the hot summer months. The National Safety Council reports that 37 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a hot car. This figure reached a record high of 53 deaths in both 2018 and 2019. Just last month, a 9-year-old girl in Texas died after her mother left her in a car with the windows slightly open while she worked an eight-hour shift on a day when temperatures reached nearly 100 degrees.