Nationwide — Ciera Washington, a 29-year-old African American mother from Sunrise, Florida, was arrested after police said her three children were found trapped in the trunk of her car, sweating and unattended, while she shopped at a local Walmart store.
Around 3:30 p.m. on September 14, a passerby walking near the parked vehicle heard faint knocking. When he looked closer, he noticed two empty car seats and a child’s foot sticking out from the back seat.
According to People, the man and another witness managed to get inside the car and discovered three children in the trunk. The vehicle was turned off, the windows were closed, and the kids were overheated.
According to the complaint, they were drenched in sweat. The two youngest had soiled diapers with feces on their legs. After freeing the children, one of the witnesses took the oldest into the store to search for their mother.
Police arrived soon after and reviewed Walmart surveillance footage, which showed Washington inside for 39 minutes with a friend.
When questioned, Washington claimed she left the oldest child with the keys and the air conditioner running. Witnesses confirmed the child had the keys but said the car was off when the children were found. Washington admitted she had made a mistake and blamed long checkout lines for her delay.
She was arrested the same day and charged with three counts of child neglect without great bodily harm. Records show she was booked into Broward County Jail and later released after posting bail.