This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Police in Orem cited a mother who left her daughter in a hot car Friday.
The 3-year-old girl did not suffer any injuries. The car was parked outside the T.J. Maxx store at 268 W. University Parkway.
A woman in the parking lot heard the child crying then saw the girl inside the car, said Orem police Sgt. Craig Martinez. A window was partially down and the girl was restrained in a car seat, sweating.
Martinez said the woman waited a few minutes for someone to help the child. When no one arrived, the woman removed the girl through the open window and called 911.
While paramedics examined the girl, police searched in nearby stores for her parents. About 20 minutes after police arrived, the mother arrived at the car, Martinez said.
The mother said she had to use the restroom, did not want to wake the sleeping child and did not realize how long she was away, Martinez said.
"This wasn't done maliciously," Martinez said. "She just didn't think she would take as long as she did."
Firefighters measured the temperature of the car seat at 110 degrees, Martinez said.
Martinez said the mother was upset and the episode appeared to be "an isolated incident."
Orem has a city ordinance against leaving children alone in cars, Martinez said. Police cited the mother with a misdemeanor punishable by a $750 fine and up to 90 days in jail.
Martinez said the passer-by lives in Cedar City, and Orem police are trying to contact her to discuss giving her a commendation or "at least tell her what a good job she did."
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