Florida mom arrested after girl, 3, found left in hot car: 'The child was suffering' police say
DeLand mom charged after 3-year-old left in hot car, police say
A 3-year-old girl is recovering after DeLand police say she was left alone in a hot car for nearly two hours while her mother donated plasma. The child’s mother is facing a child neglect charge, but police said she had not yet been booked into jail because she was taken to a hospital.
DELAND, Fla. - A Florida mom was arrested after police claim she left her child unattended in a hot car.
La'Tana Williams, 27, was taken into police custody on Sunday afternoon, May 31, after DeLand Police officers found a three-year-old child left alone in a hot car for two hours, the department said.
As of June 1, Williams has not yet been booked into jail due to being hospitalized for having an allergic reaction to the stainless steel handcuffs, police said.
What we know:
Officers with the DeLand Police Department responded to the 300 block of New York Avenue after receiving a 911 call about a child left alone in a hot car.
The caller reported a little girl left in a hot car, requesting an ambulance.
(DeLand Police Department photo)
"We need an ambulance here right now. Please hurry," the caller said. The caller said he didn't know if the girl was breathing, reporting she was having a seizure and turning blue, according to the 911 call the department released.
When first responders arrived around 4:30 p.m., the girl, 3, was transported to the hospital in critical condition. The girl's outlook appeared positive, police reported. She was treated for heat exhaustion, including elevated body temperature and lethargy, an arrest affidavit said.
Police alerted to child through 911 call
Panic erupted in the parking lot as people realized what was unfolding. Marc Tait was one of the first to notice the emergency and immediately dialed 911.
Caller: "Yes, hello, we are here in DeLand. There is a little girl who was left in a hot car. We need an ambulance right away..."
911 Operator: "Is she breathing?"
Caller: "I don't know, it looks like she's having a seizure!"
DeLand Police say the toddler had been trapped in the extreme heat without air conditioning for two hours.
"It all kinda clicked in my mind that this lady had left her kid in the car, and the lady had told me to call 911. So, I called 911," Tait said.
By the time the car door was finally opened, it almost looked too late.
"She was literally blue, her limbs were blue, she was vomiting. You know, it was not good. I thought the baby was going to die," Tait recalled.
That is when strangers became saviors. Bystander Rosemary Roile sprang into action, maneuvering through the frantic scene to give the child a fighting chance.
"I opened the door, put the baby on my lap. It was getting really crowded, so I stepped out, carried the baby to the grass," Roile said.
She then began performing life-saving measures on the toddler.
"So, I softly started to do 5 compressions... breath... nothing... again... breath, and then she coughed."
That single cough brought a massive glimmer of hope to the parking lot. But for the heroes who stepped up to save a life, the trauma of those terrifying minutes still lingers.
"Anxious, because I didn’t think it’d be enough. Scared, because I didn’t think it would be enough," Roile said.
Thanks to the good Samaritans who stepped in, the 3-year-old is expected to survive. DeLand Police say the child is currently recovering.
The child's mother, 27-year-old Latana Williams, now faces a felony charge for child neglect.
Watch: Full press conference
Police: Florida mom left daughter, 3, in hot car | FULL
FULL PRESS CONFERENCE | The DeLand Police Department responded to a May 31 incident in which a girl, 3, was found left alone in a hot car. Police reported the girl was in the car for three hours while her mother was inside a plasma center. The mom, Latana Williams, 27, was taken into police custody and hospitalized due to an allergic reaction to the stainless steel handcuff, the department said.
Why was the girl left unattended in a car?
According to police, the girl's mother, Williams, was visiting a plasma donation center. According to an arrest affidavit, Williams reportedly left the car running with her daughter in a car seat and the air-conditioning on cold. The mom watched her daughter through FaceTime while she was donating plasma, but after two hours, when she returned to her car, her daughter was unconscious and not breathing, the department said.
Captain P. Dice of the DeLand Police Department said Williams' reports weren't true.
"Based on our investigation, that is not true," Dice said June 1. "The car was not running, the car was off, the windows were up and the child was suffering."
The girl was shaking and foaming at the mouth, the report said.
Witnesses told police they saw Williams holding what appeared to be a lifeless child. One person gave the child CPR before first responders arrived.
Williams was taken into custody and is facing a child neglect charge. Williams told police donating plasma was necessary to cover childcare costs, the report said. She said she thinks her child deactivated the car when she was left unattended, the arrest affidavit said.
What they're saying:
"Please take this as a reminder to always check your back seats," Dice said. "Give yourself enough time when you’re traveling so you’re not in a rush when you arrive at your destination."
Dice said this situation was fully preventable, saying under no circumstances should a child or pet be left in the car.
What's next:
Williams was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail without incident. A DCF on-call investigator is conducting an investigation.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the DeLand Police Department, bystanders Marc Tait and Rosemary Roile, and Volusia County Communications.