A Florida woman is facing felony charges in the countryโs latest case where a child was left alone inside a vehicle. The car caught on fire while the childrenโs mother was inside a mall allegedly shoplifting, according to WESH.
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Across the country, seven children have died while unattended in overheated parked cars this year, per Kids and Cars Safety. In some incidents, the parents were attending church or even working a hospital shift. However, an Orlando woman left her two children in the car to go inside the mall to shoplift, authorities say.
Alicia Moore, 24, parked her 2016 Lincoln at Oviedo Mall on May 26 around noon. While Moore and an unidentified male were inside playing โOceans 8" in Dillardโs for about an hour, the report says the vehicle suddenly caught fire in the lot.
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When she was leaving the store, she saw her car โengulfed in flamesโ and โdropped the stolen merchandiseโ and fled the store, the report states.
The car was โcompletely totaledโ by the flames, the report states. One child tried to escape the car, and bystanders ultimately helped rescue them before they were rushed to Arnold Palmer Childrenโs Hospital. One child suffered โseveral first degree burns,โ including on her face and ears, according to the arrest report. The childrenโs ages are unknown.
When interviewed by police, Moore โstated only her biographical informationโ and requested an attorney, the report says.
Moore was arrested on aggravated child neglect and arson in addition to an outstanding warrant she had for another unrelated incident. Her jail record says she was charged with petty theft, assault and battery on an elderly person in Sumter County.
Itโs unclear how the car suddenly set ablaze but Iโm sure weโll find out more when she heads to court on June 27. Moore pleaded not guilty to her charges and is being held on a $20,000 bond.
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