ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 35-year-old mother, Gabriela Cardenas, was arrested Tuesday evening after allegedly leaving her 3-year-old child alone in a hot car outside a Walgreens in Albuquerque.
The Albuquerque Police Department (APD) responded to a 911 call from a store employee who saw the child screaming and red in the face in the backseat of a parked vehicle. The car windows were reportedly only slightly cracked, while outside temperatures hovered around 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
APD said the child was left in the vehicle for approximately six minutes, during which the internal car temperature could have reached up to 117 degrees. Experts say this is enough to cause heat stroke or permanent brain injury in young children.
Stephanie Piñon, a family advocate for Kids and Car Safety, emphasized the danger:
“The brain starts to fry when a child is left in a hot car… they have less than 10 to 15 minutes, if that, to be saved.”
Police tracked down Cardenas, who initially claimed her child was “fine” and continued waiting in line at the store. When employees threatened to call the police, she reportedly left the store. Officers found her and the child outside the vehicle and arrested her shortly after.
Cardenas allegedly admitted she left her child unattended while running inside for “a couple of minutes.” She now faces a child endangerment charge.
Medical professionals evaluated the toddler, noting clear signs of heat-related distress, but fortunately no physical injuries were observed.
APD Chief Harold Medina issued a stern reminder to the public:
“This type of behavior is not only unacceptable — it’s deadly… Leaving a child in a hot car for even a few minutes can have tragic consequences.”
Authorities urge parents to always “look before you lock” and avoid any situation that could leave a child unattended in a vehicle.
