SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) A South Dakota man was arrested after police said he left his 8-month-old baby in a hot car for more than half an hour Monday.
Justin Okolo, 46, of Brookings, S.D., was arrested for abuse and neglect of a minor under 7 years old.
Sioux Falls Police Department spokesman Aaron Benson said a customer shopping at a nearby business 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 at the store around 2:10 p.m., and the manager arrived at the car 31 minutes later to open the 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.
