Baby ‘screaming in distress’ in heat leads to charges, police say
With 97-degree temperatures and a heat index of 100 degrees, the officer said the seven-pound baby’s health and welfare were put at risk.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A three-week-old baby was kept outside in a car seat in the afternoon heat while the infant’s parents worked on a vehicle, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Police said multiple blankets were also on top of the baby at the time.
According to the arrest report, a neighbor at an apartment complex off Dickerson Pike in Goodlettsville called police around 2 p.m. on Tuesday after he saw the baby outside in the car seat, covered in a blanket.
Officers responded to the complex and were told by the neighbor that he heard the baby “screaming in distress” while the baby’s parents continued to work on a vehicle that was about three parking spaces away, according to police.
The responding officer stated in the arrest report that he spoke to the manager of the apartment complex where this took place. The officer stated that he viewed camera footage that showed both 31-year-old Emma Parish and 24-year-old Michael Gillum-Kent working on the vehicle for roughly an hour.
The officer said he contacted Nashville Emergency Services to evaluate the baby and make sure the infant was not dehydrated. The arrest report states that Nashville EMS advised the mother that the baby should be checked out by a doctor and the mother refused further treatment.
Due to the temperature being 97 degrees and the heat index being 100 degrees, the officer said the seven-pound baby’s health and welfare was put at risk.
Both Parish and Gillum-Kent were charged with felony child neglect.
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