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Viral Video of Baby Left Unattended in Car Outside Store Sparks Police Investigation

Police in Richmond are investigating a case of possible child endangerment after cellphone video posted on Facebook of a child left unattended in a car outside a store went viral.

The cellphone video taken on Saturday has been shared more than 8,000 times. In the video, the man behind the camera shows a child in the backseat of a car while he claims the driver is off shopping inside a nearby GameStop store in Richmond.

“She’d rather get a video game than take care of her baby that’s in the car,” the man recording the video is heard saying.

When the video starts the windows are cracked.  After the woman realizes a man is recording, she returns to the car and rolls up the windows. It's unclear if she left the car running with the air conditioning on.

Police say the man who took the video waited until after she drove away to call police. They would've liked to hear from him earlier.

“Put yourself in the position where you can help in the situation and call immediately,” Richmond Police Lt. Felix Tan advised.

Tan said that according to witnesses, the child was left in the car for up to eight minutes Saturday morning. At the time of the video it was about 73 degrees outside. According to experts, temperatures inside a car on a warm day can soar above 120 degrees within an hour.  

Witnesses told police it appeared the child was OK. Police say they will continue to investigate and may include Children Protective Services.

Officers have been trying to contact the woman in the video and say they will continue to reach out. Once they get a statement from her, they plan to pass the case to the district attorney’s office.

NBC Bay Area reached out to the man who shot the cellphone video and did not hear back.

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