A Simi Valley mother was arrested Monday for allegedly leaving her children locked in a car while at a veterinary hospital, police said.
The Simi Valley Police Department responded to a disturbance call involving a woman at a tire store on East Los Angeles Avenue, police said.
When officers arrived, they found the woman trying to get help for an ill dog at a veterinary hospital in the 1700 block of Los Angeles Avenue, officials said.
Police say they later found her three children, aged from 1 to 5 years old, locked in a car across the street with the windows rolled up and no air conditioning.
The children had been locked in the car for at least 20 minutes and were showing signs of heat distress, police said. The children were taken to a hospital and later released to a relative.
The mother was identified as 28-year-old Amanda Woodruff. She was being held on charges of DUI and felony child endangerment, according to police.
Police are reminding the public to never leave a child, pet or anyone not able to care for themselves in a hot car for even a few minutes during the current heat wave.
