Man Arrested For Leaving Child In Locked Car To Go To Court

CLEARWATER, FL -- Clearwater Police have charged a man with child neglect after he left his 4-year-old daughter inside a locked car in a courthouse parking lot while he attended a hearing inside.

Dean Baaj, 51, of 2580 Nursery Road, Lot 302, was taken to the Pinellas County Jail after his arrest.

According to detectives, Baaj arrived at the Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court St., at 8:45 a.m. for a 9 a.m. hearing. He locked the doors and rolled up the windows of his 2004 Mercedes and left his 4-year-old inside.

Although the sun roof was open, the temperature outside at the time the child was found was 82 degrees.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, if the ambient temperature is 82 degrees, the temperature inside a car would rise to 120 degrees in an hour (the temperature may vary based on the humidity).

A passerby heard the child calling for help about two hours later and alerted a deputy inside the courthouse.

Clearwater police officers were called to the scene where they questioned Baaj and arrested him on charges of child neglect.

Paramedics checked out the little girl and determined she didn't need treatment. She was released into the custody of her mother, who was at the hearing at the courthouse as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when temperatures outside range from 80 degrees to 100 degrees, the temperature inside a car parked in direct sunlight can quickly climb to between 130 to 172.

“In terms of heat-rise over time, it makes very little difference whether a car’s windows are closed or partially open," said an American Academy of Pediatrics study. "In both cases, a car’s interior temperature can rise approximately 40 degrees within one hour, even when the exterior temperature is only 72°F.”

Images via Clearwater Police

A Clearwater man reportedly left his 4-year-old in a locked car for two hours.