SIOUX FALLS S.D. (KELO) — A Brookings man was arrested after he left his eight-month old baby in a hot car for more than 30 minutes Monday.
Justin Okolo, 46, a Brookings resident, was arrested for abuse and neglect to a minor under seven years old.
Sioux Falls Police Department spokesman Aaron Benson said a customer shopping at a business near 85th Street and South Minnesota Avenue heard a baby crying from a vehicle with the window slightly cracked.
The customer alerted a store manager who was able to reach inside and unlock the car. The customer grabbed the baby and noticed the infant was very sweaty and called police.
“Someone referred (the baby) looked like it was out of a bathtub because of the amount of sweat on it,” Benson said.
Police said the witness stayed with the baby to get it fresh air and cool down and a short time later, a man showed up and told them he ran into the store for “just a couple minutes.”
Police reviewed video surveillance that showed the man arriving to the store around 2:10 p.m. when the manager arrived to the car 31 minutes later to open the car door.
The outside temperature at the time was around 90 degrees, with high humidity.
The baby was taken by the ambulance to the hospital for a check-up and was later released to its mother.
Police praised the witness and store manager for acting quickly to help cool the baby down.
