LAKE CITY, Fla. — An 18-year-old mom was arrested for allegedly locking her 2-year-old child inside a hot car in Lake City over the weekend.
It happened Saturday, July 19, around 5:49 p.m., at Regal Cinema 90 on West U.S. Highway 90.
Police found the toddler alone inside the vehicle, flushed, sweating, and crying. Officers broke a window to rescue her.
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She was taken to Lake City Medical Center for treatment.
Action News Jax obtained a copy of Merriex’s arrest report, which lays out what police say happened:
On Saturday, Merrix, her 2-year-old child, and her younger siblings went to see the Smurfs movie at Regal Cinema 90 in Lake City.
During the movie, Merriex’s child kept crying. She took her child into the lobby a few times to get her to calm down and finally took her to their car.
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At the time, the report states that “The outside temperature was 94 degrees with a heat index of 107 degrees.”
Merrix says she closed the passenger side door and was going to the driver’s side when she realized she locked herself out of the car.
However, a witness says that Merriex closed the door and went back inside the movie theater several times, leaving her child alone in the heat.
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“I raise kids, and I never leave my kids in a car for more than a minute,” said Lake City resident Debbie Spencer. “It’s horrible.”
Spencer said she’s stunned something like this could happen so close to home.
“I can’t believe people do stuff like that,” said Spencer. “Yeah, it’s bad.”
When we went to Merriex’s house, we spoke with her younger siblings briefly when they greeted us at the door. They told Action News Jax the 2-year-old child is doing ok.
Merriex is currently at the Columbia County Jail.
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