A dad was found inside an Arizona adult bookstore after leaving four kids inside a hot car left in the parking lot, police say.
Around 3:40 p.m. on July 24, police were called to The Adult Shoppe and found multiple children aged two to seven inside a vehicle, according to Fox 10.
The car was off and the windows were rolled up, police said.
Phoenix’s high on July 24 reached 106 degrees. Temperatures inside the car were about 125 degrees when the kids were found.
Officers got into the car and rescued the children, according to the report. They were taken to an air-conditioned police SUV and given water.
“There were signs of distress, you know, color discoloration, you know, skin bright red, sweating. Clearly, the heat was affecting the children,” Sgt. Rob Scherer told the outlet.
Officers searched for the children’s guardian and found their father, 38-year-old Ascencio Largo, inside the store, according to Fox 10.
He went into the business about an hour before the kids were found, according to police.
Maricopa County Commissioner Jane McLaughlin said during a court hearing that Largo tried to pretend the car wasn’t his when police found him, according to the report.
“It just indicates a strong level of reckless culpability of knowing,” McLaughlin said. “It’s difficult to say that anybody who grew up in Arizona doesn’t know that children and dogs die in closed cars.”
Largo was arrested and charged with four counts of child abuse and four counts of engagement.
