PHOENIX — An infant was rushed to the hospital after being left in a hot car for several hours on Monday.
Police say the 4-month-old girl had been left in a car in a garage near 83rd Avenue and Camelback Road.
Investigators say the child's mother left the girl in the car from about 8:30 a.m. until crews received the call for help around 1 p.m.
Investigators are still looking into the incident and have yet to determine if the mother will face any charges.
"Came back, closed the garage and went inside the house," said Phoenix Police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune. "She did not remember that she had the four-month-old with her."
Another sibling at home realized the problem hours later, police said.
"A younger sibling...says, you know, where's the baby?" Sgt. Fortune said. "I think at that point, either mom says, 'oh she's sleeping. The other child says no. Then she remembers, oh my goodness, and runs into the garage and realizes that the baby was still in the carseat."
While temperatures have only reached the 90ºs so far this year, studies show it takes only a few minutes for the inside of a vehicle to reach dangerous temperatures.
This incident is not the first hot-vehicle incident of the year. A Valley caregiver is facing abuse charges for allegedly leaving a vulnerable adult in a hot vehicle in the parking lot of a shopping center near 44th Street and Thomas Road Saturday.
At the time of that incident, outside temperatures were about 93 degrees and the inside of the van was calculated to be between 128 and 133 degrees. Officials say the vehicle was facing north in the direct sunlight and did not have tinted windows.
Phoenix police said Tuesday the girl's condition had improved, but she remains in critical condition.
