VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Florida grandmother is being charged with neglect after a 2-year-old was found locked in a hot car Tuesday (July 2).
According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the car was parked in full sun with no shade, it wasn't running, and the windows were cracked. The outside temperature at the time was 91 degrees, with a heat index of 101 degrees.
The child was inside a car parked in a Publix parking lot in Ormond Beach and reportedly "appeared lethargic."
The Publix manager reached in to unlock the car and took the child into the store to cool off.
The grandmother, later identified as Elena Grady, 63, took custody of the child and left the store.
Grady was later located and charged with child neglect. She was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail where she was booked and released overnight.
Deputies want to remind the public to avoid leaving children, pets, and vulnerable adults in hot vehicles, even if only for a few minutes, to avoid tragedy.
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