LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – An Instacart shopper was arrested after he left an infant inside of a hot car while he shopped at a grocery store, according to Tavares police.
Police responded on Sunday to the Publix located on FL-19 in Tavares around 5:56 p.m. in reference to a “juvenile locked inside of a vehicle,” according to an arrest affidavit.
A Publix employee said they were flagged down by a customer who said there was an infant left alone inside of a parked vehicle.
According to the affidavit, the infant was in a rear-facing car seat, behind the driver’s seat inside of the vehicle that was not running and the windows were only slightly rolled down.
Tavares Fire Department responded a short time later and noted that the infant was visibly sweating, appeared clammy and had labored breathing.
Fire crews were able to force one of the vehicle’s windows down to gain entry since they were partially open, according to the affidavit.
Lake County EMS then arrived at the scene and the child was turned over to them for treatment.
Police said the grocery store’s manager made an announcement over the loud speaker for the owner of the vehicle to come to customer service. According to the affidavit, a short time later, a man – later identified as 27-year-old Keita Jones – came “running to customer service.”
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Jones stated he was the owner of the vehicle and confirmed the infant was in the vehicle, police said.
According to the affidavit, Jones told police that he wasn’t in the store long and was attempting to complete a second order for Instacart, a grocery delivery service. Jones stated that it was raining outside and he did not want to get the child wet. He told police he left the infant in the vehicle in the car seat with the windows down.
Tavares police recorded the temperature of the car seat using a thermal imaging device and noted the temperature was between 100 and 105 degrees. Police said the infant was left in the car alone for about 45 minutes.
Jones was arrested and transported to the Lake County jail where he faces a child neglect charge.
His arrest comes on the heels of a 2-year-old that died after being left in a hot car in Volusia County last week and an 11-month-old baby that died after being left in a hot car while her parents attended a church service in Palm Bay on May 28.
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There was no word on the condition of the infant or the child’s relationship to Jones.