A 78-year-old South Carolina woman is facing charges after authorities said she left a 9-year-old girl and a dog locked inside a car with soaring temperatures while she went shopping.
June Cooper King has been charged with unlawful conduct toward a child following the incident, which occurred Saturday afternoon in Murrells Inlet, a town located southwest of Myrtle Beach.
According to the Horry County Police Department, officers were called to a Home Depot store around 4:30 p.m. after the child and dog were discovered trapped inside a locked vehicle. Outside temperatures had climbed into the triple digits at the time.
When questioned, King reportedly admitted to shutting off the vehicle’s engine and heading into the store, leaving the girl and animal behind. She allegedly told investigators she did not believe the time she spent inside would put either of them at risk. It remains unclear exactly how long she was inside the store.
Responding officers described the child as soaked in sweat and struggling to breathe when they arrived. Emergency medical crews who treated her on scene recorded her body temperature at 104 degrees. Due to the severity of her heat exhaustion, the girl reportedly had trouble even drinking water without assistance.
Paramedics spent roughly half an hour stabilizing the child before transporting her to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the relationship between King and the young girl.
Following the incident, King’s husband arrived to retrieve the family vehicle along with the dog. King was subsequently taken into custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center, where she was later released after posting a $25,000 bond.
No future court date has been scheduled yet in connection with the case.