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Woman arrested after leaving two-month-old in hot car while checking paint samples

Jacksonville, FL — A Good Samaritan breaks the window of a car in a parking lot, after he sees a baby in the back seat sweating and crying.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says Zoya Thomas has been arrested for child neglect for leaving the two-month-old in the car. The arrest report confirms the baby is Thomas’ daughter. Thomas told police that she went in a store off Atlantic Boulevard for five minutes to check paint colors, and the baby was sleeping in the back seat and she didn’t want to wake it. JSO says surveillance shows nearly twenty minutes passed between when Thomas entered the store and when the bystander rushed in with the infant to cool it down.

The Good Samaritan saw the baby crying and sweating in the back seat and used a baseball bat to break the window and get the child. JSO says the temperature Tuesday afternoon was 85 degrees and the vehicle was parked in direct sunlight.

The arrest report says the Florida Department of Children and Families was notified, and a DCF employee took custody of the baby.

While announcing this arrest, JSO is offering tips to prevent you from forgetting your child in the car. You’re urged to always look in the back seat before you lock up and even put something you need- like a purse- in the back seat or keep a reminder with you in the front seat. You should also always keep your doors locked when not in the car to prevent children from being able to wander in. Finally, if you see a child alone in the car, JSO says you should not hesitate to call 911.

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