Palatka mother leaves child in car, arrested

PALTAKA, Fla. — A 21-year-old mother leaves a child in a hot car for about 20 minutes, police said.

The Palatka Police Department responded Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. to the Lending Bear Pawn on Reid Street after reports of a child left in a car in 90 degree temperatures.

The officer found a child sweating inside a locked car in the parking lot. Palatka police said the child appeared to be unresponsive.

The officer found the woman inside the store and got her to open the car. Rescue said the child appeared to be OK.

The mother, Kaitlyn Fair of Palatka, told officials she left the child in the car for about three or four minutes to pay a bill. However, an employee and video surveillance showed the woman inside the store with two other children paying the bill and staying for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Fair told the officer she left the child in the car because he had trouble sleeping and didn’t want to disturb him after falling asleep during the car ride.

Fair was arrested. The children were taken by a relative, police said.

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