WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP — A toddler who was left in a hot car outside a supermarket in Wilkes-Barre Township is now in the custody of protective services. The mother is expected to be charged with putting the child in danger.
Somebody took cell phone video of what happened when the mother eventually came out of that supermarket Sunday. Rosemine Chery, 28, of Wilkes-Barre was seen sobbing when police showed up.
Police tell us the woman was hysterical and not cooperating when they arrived at Price Chopper in Wilkes-Barre Township. Police say the child was left locked in the car for about 30 minutes by his mother, who is also seven months pregnant.
People noticed the child alone in the car and started gathering, but no one acted until Bridget Banik pulled into the lot.
“When I looked, I knew exactly what was going on. I saw the little boy put his hands up against the window; he was saturated,” she said.
Banik acted quickly. She noticed a window was slightly cracked open, so she reached in and unlocked the door.
“My first thought was: get that kid out of the car,” she said.
“There were other people around and she was the only one to act, so it’s pretty impressive of her to get involved,” said Officer Matthew Godlewski of the Wilkes-Barre Township Police.
Police say employees from Price Chopper tried getting the attention of child’s mother over the store’s loudspeaker, saying someone’s child was left in their car. But the mother, who now lives in Wilkes-Barre, is from Haiti, and primarily speaks French.
Authorities also believe the child was left inside the vehicle for at least 30 minutes and had a body temperature of 102 degrees. He’s now in the care of Luzerne County Children and Youth and is doing OK.
Banik doesn’t know why no one else acted before her, but she says she’d do it again.
“First of all, don’t leave your kid in the car, no matter how old, no matter what the temperature is. This could have ended a lot worse,” she said.
Police reviewed security video from Price Chopper and plan to file charges soon against the mother for child endangerment and leaving a child unattended in a vehicle.
