Mother arrested after she left 14-month-old baby in a hot car for over 20 minutes while she went to a liquor store
Oklahoma mother Gretchen Markovics was arrested by the Owasso police for child endangerment after she spent over 20 minutes in a liquor store after leaving her 14-month-old baby in her scorching hot car. Reports claim that her son was only wearing a wet diaper and was in need of medical attention. Markovics is currently being held at the Tulsa County Jail.
The cops had arrived at the Owasso Wine and Liquor store at approximately 6.30 p.m. on Wednesday and noticed the vehicle that was parked near the 86th north and Highway 169, while the temperature was approximately 88 degrees with a heat index of 91 degrees. They noticed the boy moving around in the front seat of the car crying and learned that he was in the vehicle for over 20 minutes.
Bodycam footage shared by Daily Mail shows one of the officers noticing the little boy sitting alone in the grey minivan as he approaches it. He is then seen checking the various doors of the vehicle to see if any are open, after which we see the 24-year-old Markovics approaching the officers along with a friend before revealing that the vehicle is theirs.
The officer then details the duo, while asking, "What the hell were you thinking?" A crying Markovics claims that she was under the impression that the AC was running, to which the officer says that the car's engine was not even on.
Officers called the state's Department of Human Services which has since taken the boy to the hospital, where he has been placed under their custody.
Studies have shown that dozens of infants and toddlers die of heatstroke after being left alone in vehicles. The heat is especially bad for children because their body temperature rises up to five times more than an average adult.