LA Woman Arrested for Leaving Kids in Hot Car

The teen mom had gone shopping at a store in Cudahy, leaving two infants in her car, sheriff's deputies said.

By Beverly White and Terra Spencer

| Sunday, Aug 12, 2012 | Updated 8:54 AM PDT

Mom Arrested for Leaving Babies in Hot Car

A Los Angeles woman was arrested after sheriff’s deputies say she left her one-year-old son and two-week-old daughter in a hot car while she went shopping.

Deputy Pedro Mejia said there was no time to waste when patrol units arrived and found the kids in a car parked in a Cudahy parking lot.

"The window was partially cracked. I stuck my arm in, unlocked the car. Pulled the children out," Mejia said.

Mejia said the children's teen-aged mother, identified as 18-year-old Arely Amaya, did not seem upset when she came back to her car.

"She was in a local store, making a purchase," Mejia said. "Gone how long? 20, 25 minutes."

The children were hot and moist to the touch when Mejia found them, the department later said in a press release. He placed them in his own car, which was air-conditioned, until police arrived.

The children were taken to St. Francis Hospital for treatment, the sheriff;s department said.

It's estimated it was 92 degrees outside and 110 in the car when the children were found.