A Bakersfield woman was arrested after leaving a newborn and a 3-year-old in her van on a hot summer day, neary running people over who attempted to intervene.
Following the incident, which was captured on video by a store employee, the woman’s children were transferred to the custody of Child Protective Services.
Melissa Medel, 38, is charged with child cruelty and possibly other offenses.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at a FoodMaxx in Bakersfield. Shoppers and store employees were drawn to the van after a 3-year-old boy got out of the car and was crying and looking for his mother in the parking lot.
According to witnesses, the woman went outside and started cursing and hitting the boy.
Bystanders soon noticed another child in the vehicle, which turned out to be a one-month-old boy.
The van’s motor had been left running, and the air conditioning was on, but it was still hot inside, according to Mayra Law.
According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Medel was apprehended and booked on a felony count of willful cruelty after being found at a motel in the area.
