Akron man charged with endangerment after infant daughter is found alone in hot vehicle

An Akron man was charged with child endangerment Tuesday after authorities found his infant daughter alone in his car while he was inside a plasma donation facility.

Two deputies and a detective from the Summit County Sheriff's Office were contacted by staff CSL Plasma on Grant Street, who reported that a 2-month-old infant had been left inside a vehicle in the facility's lot. The temperature at that time, according to the sheriff's office, was around 82 degrees.

The responding sheriff's department law officials found the man's vehicle, and discovered its doors were unlocked. His driver's license was found in the center console of the vehicle.

Akron Fire Department EMS was contacted to evaluate the baby, and Summit County Children Services took custody of her.

The man, 27, is scheduled to be arraigned on the first-degree misdemeanor child endangerment charge Tuesday in Akron Municipal Court.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website that more than 970 children have died of heatstroke in the past 25 years because they were left or became trapped in a hot car.

A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly.

Here are safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

● Never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time. Rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.

● Make it a habit to check the entire vehicle — especially the back seat — before locking the doors and walking away.

● Place a personal item like a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before locking the vehicle. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger's seat as a reminder that a child is in the back seat.

● Those who see a child alone in a locked car should immediately call 911. A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.

Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron man charged with endangerment after infant daughter is found alone in hot vehicle