A Polk County man is facing charges after leaving his young son in a hot car while grocery shopping. According to FOX 13 News, 70-year-old Sauveur Desulme left his 3-year-old boy in the rear of a 2006 Nissan SUV, which was parked at an Aldi store in Lake Wales. The child was found in a car seat, the vehicle's engine was off, and its windows were cracked open approximately three inches.
Lake Wales Police Department responded after a concerned passerby contacted them about the unsupervised child in the car. On the scene, officers quickly extricated the boy from the unlocked vehicle. As stated by the Tampa Free Press, first responders checked on the child and, fortunately, he was reported to be in good health despite being incredibly hot and covered in sweat.
The incident took place in the parking lot of the Aldi grocery store located at 753 Thompson Nursery Road. The duration that Desulme spent shopping while his child remained in the car is said to have been more than 20 minutes. Subsequently, Desulme has been arrested for negligent child abuse without bodily harm and leaving a child unattended in a vehicle for more than 15 minutes, practices that can easily escalate to dangerous situations.
In a justification acquired by WFLA, Desulme reportedly told police that he opted to leave his child in the vehicle because the toddler "often misbehaves inside stores." Such reasoning does not align with Florida's stringent regulations meant to prevent heat-related vehicle accidents involving children.
The legal consequences of Desulme's actions are ongoing, and details of the case continue to develop as authorities and child welfare agencies respond to this potentially dangerous event.
