South Salt Lake, UT – A woman faces child abuse charges after authorities reported that she left her young child unattended in a scorching vehicle for more than 90 minutes.
On Wednesday, South Salt Lake Police responded to a call regarding a concerning situation in the parking lot of the CSL Plasma Center located at 2978 South State Street. The incident occurred just before 5:30 p.m. when a witness reported hearing an infant, under the age of 1, crying inside a parked car with the engine off.
Security video footage revealed that Leinara Tioa arrived at the plasma center at 3:42 p.m., leaving her child unattended in the car. Tioa was spotted at 5:23 p.m., approaching the vehicle and inspecting the rear driver side window, yet refraining from opening the car door to allow air inside.
Shortly after Tioa got back to the vehicle, a witness alerted the staff at the plasma center to reach out to emergency services upon hearing the child’s cries from within. After a brief seven-minute interval, Tioa made her way back to the vehicle to ensure the infant secured in the car seat was doing well.
Upon arrival, medical teams noted that the temperature inside the vehicle reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with the infant’s temperature recorded at 101 degrees.
After a closer look at Tioa’s vehicle, which had been in direct sunlight, it was discovered that three of its windows were slightly ajar, about one inch open.
Tioa faces serious allegations following an arrest on charges of Child Abuse and Reckless Endangerment, now in custody at the Salt Lake County Jail.
