Smyrna Mom Arrested After Child Found In Hot Car Outside Mall In Kennesaw

KENNESAW, GA -- A Smyrna mother has been charged with child cruelty after her 16-month-old toddler was found in a hot car outside a popular shopping mall in Kennesaw, authorities said. The incident occurred on Wednesday around 7:30 p.m. at 400 Ernest Barrett Parkway at Town Center at Cobb.

The mother has been identified as 22-year-old Dao Truc Le of Smyrna, Cobb police said Thursday. Le left her little daughter in the vehicle while she went inside to work, Cobb police said. (To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the Smyrna Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Investigators believe the little girl was alone in the vehicle for 2 and a half hours, Cobb police spokeswoman Alicia Chilton said in a news release. When mall security located the toddler, the vehicle's engine was off and the windows were all rolled up.

The child’s clothing was saturated in sweat by the time Cobb Police and Cobb County Fire personnel arrived, Chilton said. She was rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

"The Cobb County Police Department would like to remind everyone the importance of not leaving children or animals unattended in vehicles for any period of time," Cobb police said in the news release. "Temperatures inside vehicles can escalate extremely quickly, creating a very dangerous situation for anyone inside."

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