ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A 31-year-old mother was arrested Thursday after St. Johns County firefighters were called to help two young children left in a car parked in a shopping center lot about 3 p.m.
According to the Sheriff’s Office arrest report, the woman was shopping inside a department store in the Pavilion at Durbin Park mall for 18 minutes.
First responders say at the time, the outside temperature was 91 degrees, the car was not running and one of the children appeared to be in distress.
Ferrell was charged with two counts of felony child neglect. She was released from the St. Johns County Jail about 24 hours later after posting a $5,000 bond. News4Jax was told her children are staying with a relative.
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, a car left in the sun can heat up 20 degrees above the outside temperature in just 10 minutes.
According to the National Safety Council, 25 children left in hot cars in 2020 died. So far this year, eight have died -- two of them in Florida, according to Kids and Car Safety.
.A 2-year-old girl was found inside a hot car in Homestead on Friday.
Since 1992, 106 children left in cars in Florida have died, second only to Texas for the most.
News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson says good Samaritans are usually the ones who see it happening and call 911.
“Thankfully, people are very observant when they see this sort of thing because they know these kids can be in distress in a hot car and they can die very easily,” he said.
Know the facts
- A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. When a child is left in a hot vehicle, that child’s temperature can rise quickly — and they could die within minutes.
- Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees.
- A child can die when their body temperature reaches 107 degrees.
Everyone can help prevent hot car deaths
Information from National Highway Transportation Administration
- Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended — even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running, and the air conditioning is on.
- Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — front and back — before locking the door and walking away. Train yourself to Park, Look, Lock, or always ask yourself, “Where’s Baby?”
- Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.
- Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before you lock. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.
- Store car keys out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.