Police break window to save toddler left in hot car for ‘nearly 40 minutes,’ police say

A Tennessee mother was arrested on suspicion of leaving her 2-year-old son alone in an SUV on a hot Monday afternoon.

Mr. Juliet Police said in a statement that officers responded to the Walgreens at 206 Crossings Lane at 2:42 p.m., following reports of a toddler left unaccompanied in the backseat of a car. Upon their arrival, police said they found a boy strapped into a car seat “screaming, crying, and sweating to the point that his hair was soaked.”

Officers reportedly busted out a window and rescued the child from the vehicle. The child’s mother, Mariam Banoub, 30, was reportedly located inside the store with a 4-year-old girl.

“Information from the scene led officers to believe that the child was intentionally left unattended for nearly 40 minutes,” Mt. Juliet police wrote.

As a result, Banoub was arrested and charged with leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle, child neglect, and resisting arrest.

READ More: ‘God, please let this child be alive:’ Cop saves tot from scalding hot car

An officer treated both children at the scene before they were turned over to their father.

“We are so thankful a watchful citizen saw the child and knew to immediately report it,” Mt. Juliet police Captain Tyler Chandler said. “Whether the car is running or not, it’s a dangerous situation for any young child, especially on a hot day. It is also against the law.”

Banoub was booked into the Wilson County jail. It’s unclear whether she’s been released.


[Featured Image: Mariam Banoub/Mt. Juliet Police]