A Parkville, Mo. woman faces a misdemeanor child endangerment charge after allegedly leaving her daughter in car on a hot afternoon, according to court documents.
At about 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, Parkville Police Department officers were dispatched to 1200 block of East Street on a report of a baby left unattended in a vehicle at the Parkville Nature Sanctuary. Upon arrival, they observed a white 2015 Kia Forte that was registered to Kristin Johnson, 22.
A witness said he and his wife had removed the infant from a car seat in the unlocked Kia. The witness then advised there were no adults around the car when they arrived.
According to court documents, no witnesses saw a person leave the vehicle prior to discovery of the child.
Officers found the baby on a picnic table, and witnesses said they removed the child’s clothing because she was sweating. According to court documents, the child’s temperature was 99.9 degrees Farenheit.
Officers placed a call to Johnson, who approached as the call was being made. She said she had been walking the trails with friends.
Johnson was then placed under arrest.
According to court documents, Johnson said she picked up the child from a relative of her partner and went to the Park University alumni basketball game before a lunch on campus. She then gave some friends a tour of the campus before going on the walk at the sanctuary.
Johnson said during her interview that she didn’t know how long she was away from the car and did not realize she had left the child behind, according to court documents. She said she had never done this before and thought she got distracted and forgot the child was sleeping in her car seat.