A Carroll County mother was arrested Wednesday afternoon after allegedly leaving her two children in the car for 25 minutes while she shopped in Walmart, police said Thursday.
Witnesses saw the children, ages 2 and 6, inside the parked vehicle, which was not running running, and called 911, Capt. Keith Shaddix with Villa Rica police said. The car’s windows were open less than 2 inches, but one door was left unlocked and a witness opened it to to let cooler air inside, Shaddix said. Both children were asleep, he said.
“An ambulance was called to the scene and both children were found to be very hot, sweating, and thirsty,” Shaddix said in an emailed statement. “After giving the children water to drink and fresh air, both children appeared to be out of danger and were released to a relative.”
The children’s mother, Ananya Lively, 39, of Villa Rica, returned to her car after 25 minutes, according to investigators. She was arrested and charged with two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree, both felonies, and two counts of reckless conduct.
“None of us would leave a million dollars in the back seat of our vehicle parked in the parking lot, and our children are worth so much more,” Shaddix said.
Lively was booked into the Carroll County jail, where she remained Thursday, according to booking records. A bond amount had not been set late Thursday morning.
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