A mum from Naugatuck has found herself at the centre of a serious police investigation after allegedly leaving her two young children trapped inside a hot car while she shopped at Walmart on a scorching summer afternoon.
Talita Sonia De Carvalho Silva, 30, is now facing several felony charges following the shocking incident that unfolded on Wednesday, 25 June. That day, temperatures soared to a blistering 91 degrees Fahrenheit, or around 33 Celsius, according to Accuweather.
The alarm was first raised when shoppers at the Naugatuck branch of Walmart heard the car alarm blaring. What they found was nothing short of distressing. Inside the vehicle were two children, one of them just 8 years old, screaming and clearly panicked. The older child was reportedly desperately trying to get out, with witnesses describing a scene of chaos and fear.
Police arrived to find both children in an alarming state. They were crying, dripping in sweat and visibly distressed. Paramedics were called immediately and rushed them to a local hospital to be checked over. Thankfully, it seems they were taken in time before any serious harm could occur.
Authorities haven’t confirmed exactly how long the children were left inside the vehicle before help arrived, but they’re treating the matter with utmost seriousness. It doesn’t take long for temperatures inside a car to become dangerously high, and this case is being used as a stark reminder of that fact, reported WFSB.
Silva is now facing a string of serious charges, including two counts each of risk of injury to a minor, reckless endangerment, and leaving a child under 12 unsupervised in a vehicle. Naugatuck police confirmed the charges and have been vocal about the dangers of leaving children or animals in parked cars.
They’ve pointed out that even when it doesn’t feel especially hot outside, the inside of a vehicle can turn into an oven frighteningly fast. Just a few minutes can be enough to put lives at risk.
In a now widely-shared demonstration of just how quickly things can turn dangerous, a vet once filmed himself sitting in a parked car on a sunny day, windows cracked for ventilation. Within minutes, the temperature inside shot up to a stifling 117 degrees Fahrenheit — about 47 degrees Celsius — forcing him to abandon the experiment for his own safety.
This real-life incident is prompting renewed calls for vigilance. Police say they hope this serves as a wake-up call for anyone who thinks leaving a child or pet in the car “just for a minute” is ever safe.
It’s a miracle that the two children in this case were spotted and helped before things got any worse. The situation could have easily turned tragic.
Silva’s case is ongoing, and for now, authorities are continuing to investigate exactly what happened and how long the children were left unattended. The incident has understandably sparked outrage among locals and parents alike, as many struggle to comprehend how such a thing could happen in broad daylight.