Mom Left 3 Kids In Car, Went Shopping During Heatwave: Police

ABERDEEN, MD — Three young children were left alone in a running, unlocked vehicle Tuesday during the heat advisory while their mother shopped at Walmart, according to police.

The mother, identified as 32-year-old Marium Khan Ghauri of Abingdon, was inside the store for approximately 40 minutes, the Aberdeen Police Department stated.

An off-duty police officer found the kids — ages 4, 2 and 1 — around 4:40 p.m. in a car parked outside the Walmart located at 645 S. Philadelphia Blvd.

Aberdeen police officers contacted the mother, who authorities said told them she left the children in the vehicle while she went into the store because they were asleep.

Ghauri has been arrested and charged with child neglect.

The children were released to the custody of their father.

" The Aberdeen Police Department reminds parents and caregivers that leaving young children unattended in a vehicle, even for a short period, can place them at significant risk and may result in criminal charges," the police department stated.

Ghauri was set free on her own recognizance and is due back in court on Sept. 2.