As Baby's Eyes Rolled Back, Man Broke Hot Car's Window

Police say the move saved a life
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 31, 2016 6:52 AM CDT
Passerby Uses Sledgehammer on Hot Car to Free Baby Inside
File photo of a device that records the temperature outside and inside of a closed vehicle.   (Darrin Phegley/Evansville Courier & Press via AP)

Police in New Jersey say a passerby who grabbed a sledgehammer and smashed a car's window saved the life of the infant inside. The drama unfolded in a Kohl's parking lot in Asbury Park on Monday when Steve Eckel, 53, and Sarah Mazzone, 30—strangers to each other—heard the 4-month-old child crying and stopped to help. "It was a little baby wrapped up in a woolen blanket—crying, sweating, eyes rolling in the back of her head," recalls Eckel, per the Asbury Park Press. He went back to his own car for the sledgehammer, broke a window, then brought the baby into the air-conditioned store with Mazzone.

The infant recovered, but police say the child "appeared to be in a great deal of stress" after spending 40 minutes in the locked car on a day when the temperature was near 90, reports NJ.com. After the baby's mother returned to the car, with two children in tow, police charged her with endangering the welfare of a child. She was released pending a court appearance, and the baby was released into the custody of the father. "I recognize the civilians who took immediate action to rescue this child, for they truly saved a life," says the police chief. (Read more child left in hot car stories.)

We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy.
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X