San Antonio mother arrested after leaving her three children in a hot car while shopping

Monday, July 08, 2024 - A mother has been arrested after she left her three children in a hot car in San Antonio, Texas, for nearly an hour while shopping.

A good Samaritan helped rescue the children from the vehicle and called police officers to alert them.

Officers were dispatched to the location after receiving the call, the San Antonio Police Department said in its preliminary report.

First responders discovered a 1-month-old, 2-year-old, and 4-year-old in the car.

“The mother of the children (suspect) was at the scene and stated she went inside a store and did not realize how long she was gone,” the department said. “Based on information gathered, the children were in the car for approximately 50 minutes.”

Angela Garza–Amador was arrested on June 28 and charged with three counts of abandoning/endangering a child, according to the report. According to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, she was released on bond on June 29.

It is unclear if Garza–Amador has legal representation.

The woman who rescued the children and took a video of the moment told CNN affiliate KENS she was walking toward a children’s clothing store when she noticed a young boy in the car next to her.

She said she felt her “mother’s instincts” and decided to looked inside and found another child in the car and alerted store employees to call 911. She then tried to open the car door and found it unlocked and helped the children while waiting for first responders to arrive.

“The boy, he was really sweating profusely, and you know, was crying. It seemed like he was grasping for air to me like they were already on that verge,” the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, told KENS. “A lot of parents think, ‘Oh, it’s OK, I’ll be right back,’ but so much can happen in that time frame.”

In the video, at least three women can be seen helping get the three children out of the car, including a baby from its car seat, as the three-year-old boy cries while struggling to breathe.

“I live across town, I hadn’t been there to that store I was going to in 10 years,” she added. “I feel that God literally sent me over there for those kids.”

The children were transported to a hospital for treatment and were expected to be discharged from the hospital the same day, according to the preliminary police report.

Child protective services was notified of the incident, police said.

“While details of investigations are confidential according to law, I can confirm there was no open case regarding this family when the report of this incident came in,” a Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokesperson told CNN. “The children were not placed in CPS care and were placed in the care of family.”