Houston woman charged with child abandonment after child was found in hot car

HOUSTON – A Houston woman faces a child abandonment charge after her 3-year-old was found in a hot car outside a Kohl's department store in Spring.

Harris County Sheriff's Office officials said the child was discovered on Aug. 23 after a concerned citizen waved down a deputy because someone was banging on the outside of a white Volkswagen. That's when a three-year-old girl was discovered in the backseat sweating heavily.

The child was taken into the Kohl's store to cool down while authorities looked for a parent.

According to officers, 29-year-old Kimberly Kyles was found in the back office where job interviews were being conducted at Kohl's. 

According to court documents, Kyles claims the child was left with a friend and didn't know where the person went. The document also reveals Kyles was asked why the car was not running, and she responded she "did not want to burn up all her gas!"