1-year-old found inside hot car, Orange City police say

17-year-old aunt cited with misdemeanor

ORANGE CITY, Fla. – A 17-year-old girl left her 16-month-old nephew inside a hot car Friday afternoon while she went shopping inside a Volusia County Target store, according to police.

The teen was cited with leaving a child unattended in a vehicle not running for over 15 minutes, a misdemeanor, according to Orange City police.

Police said a caller notified authorities around 12:10 p.m. that a shopper had rescued a child from a hot car in the parking lot of a Target store on Enterprise Road.

"I was parked right next to them, and I was just putting my groceries  in the car, and my mom looked over and seen the baby in the car, I don't know how long he's been in the car," said the 911 caller.

Police watched surveillance video from the store that shows the teen park and walk inside with her younger sister.

Police say they were trying on dresses when police came over the store intercom looking for her.

"She was shopping with another person and apparently they totally forgot that her nephew was in the vehicle," said Lt. Jason Sampsell,.

Orange City police said the boy was hot and sweaty but wasn't harmed.

The baby was turned over to his mother.

The incident comes less than two weeks after a 9-month-old was left in a hot pickup truck in Brevard County and died.


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