Southern California

Officer Pulls Infant and Toddler Out of Hot Car, Arrests Mother

The 26-year-old woman told arriving officers to not damage her car despite the obvious danger her children were in, police say.

What to Know

  • Redlands police responded to a call about children locked in a hot car around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
  • The mother told arriving officers that she had locked her keys in the car — and wanted to wait until a relative arrived with a spare key.
  • However, Cpl. Brenna Herrera of the RPD broke into the car and pulled the lethargic children out of over 130 degree heat inside the vehicle.

A 26-year-old mother has been arrested in connection with leaving her two young children, one of whom was an unconscious 3-week-old infant, in a hot car over the weekend during triple-digit heat.

Danielle Sulprizo was being held in jail on charges of child endangerment in San Bernardino County, police said. The kids were believed to be inside a car that was 138 degrees for more than 15 minutes, police said. The kids were hospitalized in stable condition. The children were placed in protective custody.

Police were called Saturday to Moutain Grove Shopping Center. Cpl. Brenna Herrera found the childrens' mother standing beside the locked car, broke into it and rescued them before paramedics arrived. Sulprizo told police she had accidentally locked her keys inside, authorities said.

"She was more concerned about her car being damaged," said Carl Baker, spokesman for the Redlands Police Department.

Sulprizo also told Herrera that her children had not been in the car long, officials said. Witnesses, however, told police the children had been there for at least 15 minutes.

Herrera was praised for her actions. She helped give medical aid to one of the kids while paramedics revived the infant.

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