Florida infant left strapped in car seat, alone outside business; babysitter arrested

Florida babysitter arrested, left infant in car seat, alone outside business

A Florida babysitter has been arrested and charged with child neglect after she mistakenly left one of the kids she was caring for ? a 3-month-old baby ? outside in a hot parking lot, still strapped into a car seat, according to Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri. FOX 35's Kelsie Cairns has the latest on the case.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida babysitter has been arrested and charged with child neglect after she mistakenly left one of the kids she was caring for – a 3-month-old baby – outside in a hot parking lot, still strapped into a car seat, according to Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri.

The alleged incident happened last Thursday around 4 p.m. in Eustis, Florida. Chief Capri said the family of the child did not want to press charges against the woman, but said "we felt it was important enough to press charges."

Eustis police host presser after babysitter arrest

A 46-year-old babysitter, Wendy Michelle Kirk, was arrested after allegedly leaving an infant unattended on hot asphalt outside an Eustis business. The baby was found by a witness and transported to the hospital but showed no medical issues. Kirk was charged with child neglect and released on $2,000 bond as the Department of Children and Families launched an investigation.

"You got to be (responsible). Know where your kids are at all times," Chief Capri said, later adding: "This could have been a very, very tragic outcome. But thank God it wasn't," he said.  

The child is OK and is expected to be OK, he said. 

What we know:

Wendy Michelle Kirk, 46, was arrested last week on a charge of child neglect without great bodily harm.

According to police, a business owner and another person called 911 after discovering an infant strapped into a car seat in the middle of the parking lot on a hot summer day in Florida.

Police said Kirk dropped off several children for a class at a business around 3:30 p.m. She left and returned 30 minutes later to pick up those kids, and then left. That's when she allegedly forgot that the infant was not in the car and on the ground in the car seat, police said.

Someone brought the child inside before calling 911.

According to surveillance video, Kirk did return to the business around 4:02 p.m. – roughly 34 minutes later –  and was "distressed and crying."

"Wendy stated she realized she had left (the baby) behind and immediately returned upon realizing the error. She agreed to speak outside and was advised of her Miranda rights, which she waived, agreeing to speak further," officers wrote in the arrest report.

She told officers that after she initially left, she went to a nearby church with the rest of the children and let them play for 20-25 minutes, before realizing she was missing one of the children.

Kirk was booked into the Lake County Jail. She was released on a $2,000 bond.

The Florida Department of Children and Families has also launched its own investigation.