Local woman arrested by Lemoore police for leaving kids in hot car

According to police the temperature at the time was about 90 degrees. A three-year-old and one-year-old were left in the car for about 15-20 minutes. Police were summoned to the college, and when they arrived the mother, Jasmine Valdez, was standing next to her vehicle.

Police say that Valdez stated that the children were hers and admitted that she had left them in the vehicle while she went to the book store on campus to purchase items for class.

She told the officer that when she arrived the three-year-old was playing with her phone and was throwing a fit because he did not want to get out of the car. The younger child was sleeping so she left both of them in the vehicle while she went to the bookstore.

It was determined through the interviewing of independent witnesses that Valdez left the children alone in the vehicle for at least 15-20 minutes. Valdez had partially rolled down the windows.

Valdez was placed under arrest for two counts of felony child endangerment and booked into the Kings County jail. Her bail was set at $100,000. The children were turned over to Child Protective Services.