Man arrested after leaving kids in car while visiting the OC Jail

Santa Ana Police Department

AdvisorySAPD Officers arrest father after he leave three small children unattended in vehicle.

Arrested: Gerardo Jose Jimenez (29) Garden Grove

Charges: PC 273 a (a) Cruelty to Children with Possible Injury or Death

On Monday, August 25, 2014 at about 4:52 PM, SAPD received a radio call to respond to the area of 6th Street and Flower Street, across from the Orange County Sheriffs Jail, reference children left unattended in a parked grey colored Honda Accord. The three children ranged from 5 months to 7 years old.

Officers contacted the reporting party/witness, an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy. He said that while he was off duty he saw a grey Honda Accord illegally parked in front of the Orange County IRC building on 6th Street. The vehicle was partially parked in the north private driveway of 6th Street and nearly the rear- half of the vehicle was obstructing the westbound lane of traffic on 6th Street.

While checking the vehicle he learned that there were three unattended young children inside. He noticed that the vehicle windows were open and it did not appear that the vehicle had been left in the on position. He said that he then asked adults in the immediate area if the children perhaps belonged to them. Nobody claimed the children so he ran inside the Orange County building to further inquire about the children. Once inside, he then learned that a male subject, Gerardo Jose Jimenez, was the father of the unattended children. Jimenez told the Deputy not to worry that he had left the air conditioner on but the OCSD Deputy knew that the vehicle was turned off.

Gerardo told the responding officers that he came to the County Jail Facility in order to make a money deposit in his wife’s jail account. He said that he could not find parking anywhere so he illegally parked his vehicle in front of the jail facility and left his three children inside the vehicle without any adult supervision. Gerardo told officers that he did not want to take his children with him because the five month old child was asleep and he did not want to wake her. Based on their investigation, officers believe the children were left in the vehicle for more than 5 minutes prior to the off duty Deputy finding them.

Officer’s contacted the Department of Social Services for Children who responded to the scene and took custody of the three children. The three children were taken to Orangewood Children’s Home for care.

Based on the officer’s investigation it appears that the father Gerardo Jose Jimenez unnecessarily exposed the children to risk. He was arrested and booked into SAPD Jail for violation of 273a (a) PC, Cruelty to a child with possible Injury or Death.

KIDS IN HOT CARS HEATSTROKE SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS

Kids in hot cars are a deadly combination. Whether intentional or accidental, these deaths are preventable, which makes it all the more tragic. Here are some helpful tips to make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

Remember:

• Never leave a child alone in a parked car, even with the windows rolled down, or air conditioning on. Children’s body temperature can heat up 3 to 5 times faster than adults. A core temperature of 107 is lethal.

• Always look in both the front and back of the vehicle before locking the door and walking way.

• Heatstroke can occur in temperatures as low as 57 degrees. On an 80-degree day, temperatures inside a vehicle can reach deadly levels in just 10 minutes.

• Never let children play in an unattended vehicle. Teach them a vehicle is not a play area.

• Always lock your vehicle doors and trunk and keep the keys out of a child’s reach. If a child is missing, quickly check all vehicles, including the trunk.

Is dropping a child off not part of your normal routine? Come up with some ways to remind yourself that the child is in the car.

• Place an item that you keep on you, like a briefcase or purse, in the back seat next to the car seat, so that you’ll always check the back seat before you leave the car.

• Call your spouse after you drop the child off to make sure you didn’t forget.

• Have daycare call you if your child doesn’t show up.

• Write a note and place it on the dashboard of the car. Or set a reminder on your cell phone or calendar. You can also download the Baby Reminder App for iPhone’s.

If you see a child alone in a hot vehicle:

• Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.

• If they are in distress due to heat, get them out as quickly as possible. Cool the child rapidly, by spraying them with cool water or a garden hose. NEVER use an ice bath.

Remember: Kids in hot cars are a deadly combination. Don’t take the chance. Look before you lock!

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Address/Location
Santa Ana Police Department
60 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701