RUSSELLVILLE, Ala. - Russellville Police say a 24-year-old woman left a young child in a car on Monday. Police used a hammer to break through the van's window to get the toddler out.
Maria Isabel Martinez Tomas, 24, is charged with felony child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, which is a misdemeanor.
Police were called to Walmart on Highway 43 on Monday. A shopper had spotted a small child in a passenger van with no air running and a window cracked. Police saw the situation and used a hammer to bust out the passenger side front window.
Police say the 2-year-old child was in heat distress in a car seat in the back. Officers then went in the store and found Tomas, who had a 6-year-old and 4-year-old with her. Officers said Tomas was inside Walmart for more than 20 minutes before the child in the car was discovered.
The toddler was taken to a local hospital for treatment, and then released.
The 2-year-old and 4-year-old belonged to a family member. The 6-year-old was Tomas' child.
