An Indiana father is facing four felony charges after police say he left his four young children trapped inside a sweltering car in a Walmart parking lot — with no air conditioning and the windows barely cracked.
Eric Andrews Jr., of Indianapolis, was arrested on July 10 and charged with four counts of neglect of a dependent, according to court records.
Officers were called to the Walmart on W. 10th Street in Indianapolis after an off-duty employee working at the store discovered four children locked inside a parked vehicle. The children — ages 1, 3, 3, and 4 — were described in court documents as “profusely sweating.” The engine was running, but the air conditioning was not.
One of the children was found sleeping on the floorboard of the car. Officers reported they were unable to wake the child immediately — though it remains unclear if the heat was a factor.
By the time police arrived, Andrews and the children’s mother had returned to the vehicle. The mother allegedly became “uncooperative and agitated” with officers. Andrews reportedly tried to calm her down.
Both parents admitted the children were theirs and claimed they had only stepped away for a short time. They also acknowledged the car’s air conditioning was not functioning.
Surveillance footage from the Walmart parking lot was reviewed by police. Andrews was subsequently arrested and booked at the Marion County Adult Intake Center. He has since bonded out and is scheduled for a pretrial conference on August 31.
Paramedics evaluated all four children at the scene. None required hospitalization. A family member arrived and took the children home that evening.
The case has drawn attention to the dangers of leaving young children in hot vehicles — a situation that can turn fatal within minutes, even with windows slightly open.