Morris Co. Man Charged After Leaving Kids In Hot Car: Police

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - A developmentally disabled 6-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister locked in a hot car were rescued by officers on July 5, according to Hanover Township Chief of Police Chief Mark D. Roddy. Paul Michel, 34, of Lake Hiawatha was charged by police Monday.

Michel faces charges of abandonment and disorderly conduct, police said. He was also issued township citations for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle and was issued a motor vehicle summons for failing to secure his children in a child restraint seat, police said.

According to Roddy, Sergeant Anthony Vitanza and Officer Michael Byrnes and Daniel Acquaro responded to Wegmans at approximately 6:30 p.m. on a report of two children left locked in a vehicle that was not running with outside temperatures still above 90 degrees.

Responding officers arrived and located the children locked in the car sweating profusely and crying, Roddy said. Officers managed to gain access to the vehicle and provided the children with cold water to drink and respite from the heat in their patrol vehicles, Roddy said.

Officers said they made several announcements within the store and after approximately 20 minutes Michel emerged from the store. A view of the surveillance video showed that the father locked the children in the car while he shopped for over 45 minutes in the store, Roddy said.

The children were turned over to their mother and Michel was placed into custody, Roddy said.

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