A routine stop at the Chapman Highway Walmart in South Knoxville turned serious Friday afternoon after police found a 3-year-old alone inside an unoccupied vehicle in the store's parking lot. Officers were called around 1 p.m., and the child was taken to Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, where officials say the toddler is expected to be OK. After investigators finished processing the scene, the child's aunt was arrested and charged with child neglect.
Police response and charges
Knoxville Police Department officers responded to the Chapman Highway Walmart lot at about 1 p.m. Friday following a report of a toddler left by themselves in an unattended car, according to WVLT. The station reports the 3-year-old was transported to Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital and is expected to be OK. WVLT adds that the child's aunt was charged with child neglect after Knoxville police completed their on-scene investigation.
Where the child was treated
Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital, the regional pediatric center formerly known as East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, lists its main campus at 2018 W. Clinch Avenue in Knoxville, according to the hospital's website. Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital provides pediatric emergency care and inpatient services for children across East Tennessee.
A recurring problem and safety resources
The incident arrives amid other recent local cases involving children left alone in vehicles. In April 2025, WVLT reported that two people were charged after allegedly leaving children in a hot car at a Target on Clinton Highway.
Safety advocates warn that even short periods of time in an enclosed car can become dangerous as temperatures rise. National campaigns, including NoHeatStroke.org, track data on child hot-car deaths and offer prevention tips, checklists, and state-by-state information for caregivers and first responders.
What the charge can mean
Under Tennessee law, child abuse and neglect are defined in TCA §39-15-401 and can be prosecuted as misdemeanors or elevated to felony charges, depending on the child's age and whether the conduct caused serious injury, according to the statute text. Penalties increase if the victim is eight years old or younger or if the conduct results in serious bodily harm, per a summary of Tennessee Code §39-15-401 published by Justia.
