Mikayla Lynn Peer: Mom Locked 2-Year-Old Daughter In 108-Degree Car While She Went Shopping
An Arizona mother is making headlines for the neglect of her 2-year-old daughter. According to Arizona Central, Mikayla Lynn Peer, 20, left her daughter in a locked car while she went shopping. Officers with the Surprise Police Department reported that the temperature inside the car was recorded at approximately 108-degrees.
The incident, which reportedly took place on Saturday, July 4, could have been fatal, but luckily, a man walking through the Walmart parking lot noticed the toddler and called for help. Officers arrived within minutes to find the toddler locked inside the car, sweating profusely. They took immediate action by breaking the windshield to remove the child from the scorching hot vehicle. It has been reported that the toddler had been locked in the car for at least 8 minutes prior to police arriving.
Mother of 2-year-old child left in car arrested
Surprise, AZ (July 4, 2015) Shortly after 4 p.m., Surprise… http://t.co/AU4xicMgFD
— Surprise Police Dept (@Surprise_PD) July 5, 2015
Once the toddler was removed from the car, officers went looking for Peer, who was not immediately found. When she finally returned to the vehicle, officers determined she had been gone at least 20 minutes from the time she’d left her daughter in the car. Needless to say, once she did, she was immediately arrested.
According to KPHO, that man who noticed the toddler is Tony Smith. On Sunday afternoon, he recounted the horrific scene from the previous day and shared how it personally affected him. “I’m so glad I was there when I was,” Smith said. “When I left, that’s all I could think about yesterday… And then this morning, it was all I could think about… I still picture her face, all sweaty and everything…”
The child was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated, but luckily, she did not sustain any life-threatening injuries. Although the toddler was fortunate to survive this horrific ordeal, unfortunately, not all children left inside cars are so lucky. So far, eight children have been victims of child vehicular heat strokes this year after being left inside cars by parents or caregivers. Peer was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County jail on charges of child neglect and child endangerment.
[Image via Surprise Police Department]
