An Idaho woman was arrested after her toddler was found alone in a hot car, authorities said.
The incident occurred Sunday evening outside a restaurant in Meridian, police said.
“A concerned bystander reported seeing a young child alone inside a locked vehicle, crying and visibly sweating,” the Meridian Police Department said in a press release.
A restaurant employee was able to open a door to the vehicle and remove the 2-year-old child as officers arrived at the scene, police said. The temperature inside the vehicle was measured at more than 130 degrees, according to police.
Allie Qiu in a police photo.
Ada County Sheriff’s Office
First responders provided medical care to the child, who was transported to a local hospital in stable condition, police said.
The mother of the child, 35-year-old Allie Qiu, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Ada County Jail for felony injury to a child, police said.
Qiu is being held without bail, online jail records show. It is unclear if she has an attorney at this time.
Police did not say how long the child was allegedly left in the vehicle.
“This is a critical reminder that as temperatures rise, the inside of a vehicle can become dangerously hot in a matter of minutes,” the Meridian Police Department said in a statement. “It is never safe to leave a child or pet in a parked car, even for a short time.”
