Seven Children Left in Hot Car at Charles Co. Mall: Sheriff

A 37-year-old woman left seven young children inside a hot car parked at a shopping mall in Charles County Thursday, police said. 

Charles County Sheriff's deputies found the children – ages 2 to 4 – around 1 p.m. inside a black Monte Carlo vehicle parked at St. Charles Town Center, after one of the kids called 911 using an iPad, police said.

The children had been inside the unattended car for about 20 minutes and were hot and sweaty, according to the police.

The car's windows were rolled up, the doors were unlocked and the vehicle was not running, police said. 

The woman who left them there is the mother of two of the kids, authorities said. She arrived at the scene about 10 minutes after officers got there, police said.

The woman has been cited for confinement of children inside a motor vehicle and may face other charges, police said.

It is against the law to leave a child under the age of eight unattended inside a car, unless a reliable person of at least 13 years old is there, Charles County Sheriff’s Deputies said.

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