This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 47-year-old West Jordan woman has been cited on suspicion of child abuse after leaving her 8-month-old granddaughter inside a van while she went inside a Deseret Industries store Monday.
The woman was inside the store, near 7000 South and Redwood Road, for around 17 minutes before authorities arrived, according to West Jordan Police spokesman Craig Carroll. The temperature outside was around 93 degrees at the time of the incident and was 97 degrees inside the van, Carroll said.
The child was not injured and was treated at the scene by emergency medical responders, Carroll said.
Christi Fisher, the director for Safe Kids Utah, said that as temperatures rise in Utah, parents should be aware of the dangers of leaving kids in the car for any amount of time.
"You want to realize that the children aren't going to react the same way adults are [to the heat], and they are going to feel the effect a lot quicker," Fisher said.
At least eight children have died of hyperthermia or heat-related incident in Utah since 1998.
Fisher said she recommends parents set a cell phone alert or place their purse or briefcase in the back seat as a reminder to take the child with them.
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