[StBernard] Chalmette boys locked inside vehicle on hot day rescued by neighbor

[Westley Annis]

Chalmette boys locked inside vehicle on hot day rescued by neighbor

wwltv.com

Posted on August 4, 2011 at 6:16 PM

WWLTV.com

CHALMETTE, La. - A Chalmette man is facing charges of negligence after his
two young children climbed into his unlocked car and became stuck in it.

Corey Johnson, 31, is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison. No bond
information was available.

Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann said the two boys, a 3-year-old and a
10-month-old, climbed out of their apartment window and got into their
father's unlocked car.

Pohlmann said the boys somehow locked themselves inside and were unable to
get out, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees across most of the metro
area.

A neighbor saw the boys sweating profusely inside the vehicle at about 1:30
p.m. She couldn't get the door open, but she called her boyfriend, who was
able to get the vehicle open.

Pohlmann said the children were cooled off and given liquid, but seem to be
in fine condition. Police turned the boys over to their mother, who was at
work.

Johnson was booked on child desertion based on negligent supervision.

"We preach all the time about not leaving children in non air-conditioned
cars in the summer because they can die of heat exhaustion and we routinely
tell people to lock their vehicle doors to avoid thefts," Pohlmann said.

The sheriff's office says temperatures in a non air-condition vehicle can be
up to 20 to 30 degrees higher than the outside temperature within 15 minutes
on a hot day.