ALPINE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A 71-year-old woman has been charged after officials say she left her 2-year-old granddaughterinside a hot car in a Walmart parking lot.
Karol Fitzgerald, of Stanton, is facing a misdemeanor charge of leaving a child in an unattended vehicle. She was arrested Thursday and released on bond, according to the Kent County Sheriff’s Department. She faces up to 93 days in jail if convicted.
Police werecalled to the Walmart on Alpine Avenue in Alpine Township at about 6:20 p.m. May 21. A woman walking in the parking lot spotted the child and called 911.
Kent County Sheriff’s Deputy Anthony Ysquierdo said when he arrived to the vehicle, he could see the toddler was sweating, bright red and unconscious.
The child was treated for heat exhaustion. Witnesses said Fitzgerald told police she left the toddler inside the car because she had just fallen asleep and didn’t want to wake her up. Police said the grandmother was watching the toddler because the child’s mother was out of town for the weekend.
