Sentencing delayed for woman who left children in freezing car

Through the document, it was revealed that around 11:25 p.m. on the Dec. 15, 2016, Lethbridge Police were called to the 200 block of 5 Street South by a civilian who heard a baby crying in a locked and shut-off vehicle. They quickly arrived at the scene and smashed a window to gain entry to the SUV. Inside they found a three-year-old girl crying and cold to the touch.

After sending the girl to the Chinook Regional Hospital, police searched the vehicle, and found a four-year-old boy curled-up in a ball under a pile of jackets and shivering silently. Both were wearing winter coats.

Police noted that it was snowing that night and the temperature was -18 C.

A report prepared by a pediatric specialist stated that both children were suffering from mild or early hypothermia, but that neither sustained any long-term physical harm. While the author of the report couldn’t say how much longer the children would have lasted in the vehicle, it was noted that there was a risk of severe hypothermia, frost-bite and even death.

A search of the area ended with officers finding the mother, and with help from the bar she was in, they determined the woman had been there for about an hour.

A one-day trial is currently scheduled for March for the woman’s 31-year-old co-accused, who is also covered under a publication ban.

by Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Sentencing delayed for woman who left children in freezing car

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