A Kansas couple is accused of leaving six children, among them two infants, inside a sweltering vehicle while they ate at a fast-food restaurant during one of the year’s hottest days, according to authorities and local reports.
Michael Krueger, 53, and Tiffany Krueger, 40, were each charged with six counts of aggravated child endangerment after police responded Wednesday afternoon to a Wingstop in Salina, KWCH reported.
Investigators said the couple was allegedly inside the restaurant for roughly 20 to 30 minutes while the children remained in the car, which reportedly had one window rolled down and no air conditioning, according to the station.
The children in the vehicle were identified in reports as two 7-month-olds, a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 13-year-old, KSAL reported.
Temperatures in Salina pushed close to 100 degrees Wednesday, with the heat index rising above the century mark.
Emergency crews checked the children at the scene. It was not immediately clear whether any had experienced heat-related medical issues. The children were later placed into protective custody, the outlet reported.
Chad Scoville of the Salina Fire Department cautioned that children face heightened risks in extreme heat, particularly inside parked vehicles where temperatures can rise rapidly.
“A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than adults’,” Scoville told KWCH. “They just do not have the same regulating capabilities that an adult does.”
“Temperatures can reach deadly levels inside cars within minutes,” Scoville said. “Anything can happen at any time, even if you think you’re going to be minutes — that could turn into an hour. We simply do not want to leave unattended children or pets in unattended vehicles. Period.”
Leaving a window cracked open in a car is not enough to protect kids, according to the CDC.
Temperatures inside a car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window left open.
Children who are left unattended in parked cars are at the greatest risk for heat stroke and possibly death, the agency said.
