Cop Rescues Baby Trapped In Hot Car For Hours In Suitland: Police

SUITLAND, MD -- A Prince George's County police officer rescued a baby trapped in a hot car for hours thanks to some thorough investigative work on his part.

It all started when Corp. Darryl Wormuth found a man lying face down in a grassy area in the 3600 block of Parkway Terrace Drive in Suitland on Tuesday. He called for backup and emergency medical help, and then noticed a lanyard around his neck with keys and a car key fob, according to a report from the Prince George's County Police Department.

"Corporal Wormuth hit the panic button on the key fob to determine whether the man had arrived to that location in a car, in an effort to locate any paperwork, identification cards, anything that might help Wormuth figure out who the man was," the report states. "The key fob never activated any of the cars in three nearby lots."

Puzzled, Wormuth helped escort the conscious but unresponsive man to the hospital, and then three hours he later returned to the area to continue his shift. Something "just kept nagging at my mind," Wormuth said according to the report, so he returned to the exact same spot when he began to notice music from a parked car.

"When he walked up to the car, he saw that the driver’s side window was down and that the engine was running," the report states. "He looked into the open window and that’s when he saw the infant girl in the backseat and he said that prayer. He immediately called for backup. Once he was certain the little girl was breathing and alert, he summoned the property manager of the apartment complex. Responding officers and the complex manager gave the little girl chicken nuggets and water."

He examined a phone in the car that had dozens of missed calls, and was able to reach the girl's grandmother, who arrived on the scene and took the child home.

The man who had been found unresponsive is a family member and has been charged with reckless endangerment and a related unattended child charge, the report states.

Image via PGPD