Decatur Woman Allegedly Left Child in Hot Car

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A Decatur woman is out of jail on bond after DeKalb County police say she left her 2-year-old daughter inside a hot car while she went inside to fetch groceries.

According to the police report, at 8:45 p.m. on Tuesday an off-duty officer was approached by a concerned citizen inside the parking lot of the Crowe’s Crossing Kroger in Stone Mountain who said that a child had been left inside a car.

The officer got the description of the car, found the red Hyundai Elantra in the parking lot, and discovered a child strapped into a car seat. The report claims the child was crying and sweating profusely, and adds that the windows of the car were rolled up and that the doors were locked.

Just as the officer was about to smash out a window of the Elantra with a baton, 24-year-old Georgette Hall exited the store and told the officer that she had just gone inside for a few minutes to get some milk. Hall’s receipt showed that she had checked out of the store almost 20 minutes before the officer learned of the situation, the report says.

Hall seemed remorseful and begged the officer not to take away her baby. The child, who was removed from the car, was handed off to a family member, the report says.

DeKalb County jail records show that Hall was arrested and charged with reckless conduct. She was released from jail on a $500 bond.