AVENTURA, FLA. (WSVN) - - Two parents accused of child abuse have bonded out of jail after, police said, they left their toddler in a hot car while they shopped at Target in Aventura.
Police responded to the Target at 21265 Biscayne Blvd, at around 11:15 a.m. on Saturday, after a passerby reported a young child left alone in a locked car with the windows rolled up.
According to police, the toddler, who was found covered in vomit, was able to unlock the door after the witness’ encouragement.
The couple, Paola Palencia-Rodriguez, 24, and Melvin Alejandro Jaimes, 25, left their child in the car for 30 minutes during temperatures in the low 90s amid a tropical storm and tornado watch, according to the arrest report.
The child was sweaty, warm to the touch and crying, but otherwise alert, the report states. Medical responders evaluated the child, found him in good health and turned him over to his grandmother.
Palencia-Rodriguez and Jaimes were arrested at the scene and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade.
They face charges of third-degree child abuse and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle.
At a court appearance on Monday, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer found probable cause for the charges, criticizing the couple’s decision to leave their child in the car.
“You made a decision to let your child sleep in a hot car, and that child could’ve died,” Glazer said. “You are lucky a witness saw the child and got him to open the door, because he was hot and sitting in vomit.”
The judge gave the pair an earful on the decision they made.
“You’re lucky you’re here today in court, rather then at a child’s funeral,” said Glazer. “Very poor judgment in leaving a 2-year-old locked in a hot car to sleep, while you’re shopping in a store.”
The child’s grandmother, who attended the court session via Zoom, pleaded for leniency.
“Madam judge, my daughter, she is a very, very, good mother. All of us here, we love very much this child,” said the grandmother.
The parents are now only allowed supervised visits with the child.
Prosecutors were against having the parents live in the same home, but they have only been in the U.S. for four months and said they have nowhere to go.
7News cameras captured both parents crying as they were reunited after being released from jail.
The father said that the media was mistaken in the allegations against them.
The Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating the case.
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