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6-year-old girl uninjured after being left in day care van, Sanford police say

Child had fallen asleep in vehicle

SANFORD, Fla. – A 6-year-old girl was sweaty but uninjured after she was found locked inside a day care van, where she had been forgotten for nearly two hours, according to the Sanford Police Department.

Police said the girl’s grandmother went to Kid City USA Thursday only to be told that her granddaughter never showed up for day care that day. The woman said she had dropped the girl off in the morning and that’s when an employee began searching for the child.

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Records show when they couldn’t find the girl in the back, they got the keys and opened up the day care’s van and the child immediately came out, covered in sweat.

The girl had been picked up from Midway Elementary School that afternoon and after the van arrived at Kid City at about 3:40 p.m., she remained inside the vehicle because she was sleeping, according to the report. She wasn’t discovered until about 5:20 p.m., records show.

Police said the employee who was transporting the children should have conducted a check of the vehicle to make sure all the children safely got out but the employee never performed that check.

Though the girl was sweaty and complained of not feeling well, her temperature was normal and she did not appear to have any injuries. She was not taken to a hospital.

Records show the case file will be forward to the state attorney’s office to determine whether charges will be filed against the employee who was driving the van.