A 7-year-old girl in Thornton, Colorado, found herself in a life-threatening situation on July 6 — locked inside a parked car at a Walmart Neighborhood Market while outside temperatures hovered around 90 degrees. But this little girl refused to wait.
According to police, Eddie Espinoza, 62, left his granddaughter inside the vehicle at 850 E. 88th Avenue while he went inside the store to shop. As minutes passed, temperatures inside the car skyrocketed to over 150 degrees — conditions that can turn deadly in a matter of minutes for a young child.
After being trapped for at least 20 minutes and beginning to overheat, the girl spotted a mallet inside the vehicle. She used it to smash the front passenger window and break herself free.
Bystanders nearby witnessed the moment and immediately rushed to help the girl out of the vehicle, keeping her safe until first responders arrived on the scene.
When officers responded to the Walmart on a report of a child locked in a car, they found the vehicle with its passenger window completely destroyed. The girl was treated at the scene for minor injuries from broken glass.
Espinoza was still inside the store when police arrived. He was interviewed and taken into custody after allegedly admitting he had been shopping while his granddaughter was left in the car. He now faces child abuse charges in connection with the incident.
This case is a stark reminder of how quickly a parked car can become fatal in summer heat. On average, 37 children under the age of 15 die each year in the United States from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. This year alone, at least 12 such deaths have already been reported nationwide.
Authorities are urging all parents and caregivers: never leave a child alone in a vehicle, even for a few minutes. What seems like a quick errand can cost a child their life.