It should be common knowledge at this point that it can be deadly to leave pets or children in a car on a hot day, especially with the windows closed. One man from Snellville found this out the hard way and faces multiple felony charges after officers were forced to break into his car to rescue two young children.
The Cobb County Police Department shared details about the incident, including bodycam footage from one of their officers. The post explains that the incident occurred on July 4 in a parking lot outside Cumberland Mall. The police department also thanks the observant citizens who called in regarding the trapped kids. “But first, a big THANK YOU to the concerned citizens who called 911. Your quick action is the reason these kids are safe today. You saw something and did something, and that made all the difference,” the post reads.
The police department also shared the 911 call. A woman told the operator, “I am standing outside the Dicks at Cumberland Mall and there are two children in a car by themselves. Small kids, crying. The windows are cracked, but I don’t think that’s right.” She adds, “We just came out of the dicks and I heard kids crying. They are little children.”
The kids are crying in the background as the operator asks the woman how old she thinks the children are. “The little girl looks maybe about a year, and the little boy looks maybe about two,” she says.
The Police Officers Were Forced To Break The Car Windows
The driver left a small gap at the top of each window, but the doors were locked, so the officers decided to break in. They shattered the front passenger window, pulled up the internal lock, and got inside. One officer exclaims, “You’re hot!” as he pulls the young boy from the vehicle. Authorities believe the children had been waiting in the car for at least 40 minutes. They revealed that the vehicle’s internal temperature was a sweltering 117 degrees Fahrenheit (47C). The video briefly shows a man returning to the car before officers detain him and put him in the back of a squad car.
A report by Fox 5 reveals the man’s identity as J’quawn Dixon. Officers arrested him for second-degree cruelty to children. Authorities reportedly transported him to Cobb County Jail, where he was held on a $10,000 bond. He was released the following day.