A mother and father were arrested in Highland after deputies found their children locked in the trunk of a car they were traveling in, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
April Burgo, 32, of Escondido, and Richard Burgo, 29, of Wildomar, were arrested on suspicion of cruelty to a child. Brandon Rampani, 33, of Escondido, was also traveling in the car and arrested.
All three were under the influence of alcohol, authorities said. Investigators believe the adults knew the children were locked in the trunk.
A witness called 911 shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday to report seeing a child in the trunk of a black Cadillac in the drive-thru of the Bakers Restaurant.
Deputies stopped the car at Baseline Street and Palm Avenue when the driver tried to make a U-turn, officials said in a news release.
“A strong odor of (alcoholic) beverage emitted from the inside of the vehicle,” the release noted.
Officials said April Burgo, who was driving at the time, hesitated when deputies asked her to open the trunk.
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When the trunk was opened, a 6-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl were found inside crying, authorities said.
The children’s father, Richard Burgo, was sitting in the back seat, sheriff’s officials said.
The three suspects posted bail and are no longer in custody. The children, who were uninjured, are under the care of a relative.
