A man from Arizona is facing multiple charges after leaving his four children in the car in the sweltering heat for almost an hour.
The Phoenix Police Department shared details about the incident on Facebook. They also posted bodycam footage of what happened.
The post explains that a father left his four children in his car for nearly an hour while the temperature rose to an unbearable 124 degrees (51C). Authorities reveal that the windows were up and no air conditioning was on inside the vehicle. The bodycam footage shows that officers opened the doors and gave the kids water bottles.
The father put up no resistance when officers arrested him, and the department explains that Phoenix Fire took the children to a nearby hospital. Authorities expect them to make a full recovery.
The Arizona Man Allegedly Left His Kids To Visit An Adult Shop
According to a report by AZ Family, officers say a “good Samaritan” notified authorities when they spotted the children in the car. The outlet also reveals the children were 2, 3, 4, and 7 years old. Their father, 38-year-old Ascencio Largo, was allegedly in an X-rated store called “The Adult Shoppe” at the time. Staff in the shop reportedly made several announcements about the vehicle, but nobody came out to claim it.
Officers claim that Largo was drunk when they arrested him. They also allege that he initially denied the car was his.
AZ Family explains that the judge pulled no punches during Largo’s court appearance. A prosecutor blasted his behavior, saying, “The children were in imminent danger of death in this situation.”
The judge reportedly said, “In your case, I was actually surprised that the police booked these as a class four felony instead of the higher class of felony. You could have exited that store to a car full of your dead children, which is rather shocking.”
He then highlighted the absurdity of the situation, saying, “You are presumed innocent, but what the police are alleging could have resulted in, you know, the kind of story that gets picked up on international news wires. Man goes into porno store, leaving his four children to die in their car.”
Per Fox 10 Phoenix, Largo faces four counts of child abuse and four counts of endangerment. AZ Family points out that his bond is set at $5000. He is reportedly ordered to stay away from his children if his bond is posted. The kids are staying with their mother, who was working at the time.