HOUSTON – A good Samaritan noticed a 1-year-old boy left in a hot car on Houston's northwest side and took action to alert others, police said.
The unidentified man noticed the young boy was strapped in his car seat around noon Friday in the parking lot of a strip mall at 13732 Northwest Freeway.
The car was not running and the windows were down most of the way, with the parents nowhere in sight, said witnesses.
The man, according to witnesses, then walked into the Hallmark store with the child to alert employees.
A manager called 911 and police arrived a short time later.
The toddler was not seriously injured, although witnesses said the baby was clearly "hot."
Police questioned the mother, who later appeared at the store. She said she had just run into another store for some change, a witness said.
Friday evening there was no indication the mother had been arrested. A police source said mother and child were allowed to leave the scene together.
Houston police said it's never a good idea to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, regardless of the temperature.