Costco shoppers credited with helping save toddler left in sweltering car

Police are crediting good Samaritans with helping save a 14-month-old girl left unattended in a car for 10 minutes Thursday while the temperature in the vehicle hit 115 degrees.

The incident occurred at the parking lot of a Costco at 1051 W. Burbank Blvd.

A concerned shopper spotted the baby sleeping and sweating inside the car and noticed that no parents were around, prompting her to call police.

When police arrived at the store’s parking lot, they found the baby and discovered the car’s doors were locked, Burbank Police Sgt. Robert Quesada.

The car’s windows were rolled down slightly, so officers tried reaching into the car to unlock it, he said. A good Samaritan with petite arms offered to help police and was able to slip her arm inside the cabin to unlock the door, Quesada said. Police removed the baby from the car and poured cold water on her head to keep her cool, Quesada said.

Police later arrested the girl's 38-year-old father on suspicion of child endangerment. 

 Police identified the man as Edik Magardomyan, 38, of Glendale.

Burbank Fire Department paramedics examined the toddler and determined that she was uninjured. Police placed the father under arrest after he returned to the vehicle. The girl was taken to the Burbank police station and officials said she would be released to the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, Quesada said.

--Veronica Rocha and Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Officers arrived at the Costco store located on West Empire Avenue in Burbank and found a baby inside the vehicle. Credit: KTLA-TV

Comments

[Marley]

I saw this story on the news last night and it was reported the baby was in the car for at least 20 minutes. The woman who discovered the little girl said she and a Costco employee waited a bit before calling the police for help, thinking the parent would return quickly. Thank goodness for that woman, she probably saved a life yesterday.

[Tom, Long Beach, California]

what an idiot

[Joe]

I would lock the father in a sauna for 48-hours as punishment.

[godisred]

If this father was not born here, shouldn't a crime and conviction of child endangerment strip him of his citizenship and require immediate deportation.

[Ray]

This guy needs to go to some parenting classes. What a complete idiot. How can you be so damn dumb. If I see something like that, I'm going to just break the window. I seen these fools leave there dogs in the car to on hot days to.

[CHRISTOPHERDC]

This "overaged boy" who alleges to be a father was obviously born a stupid IDIOT.

While these passer-bys did the right thing in calling the police, the car's windows could have been broken to save a life.

The child is much better hands in Children's Protective Services.

[Name not important]

LOOK PEOPLE , all parking lots of stores like costco and home depot and others should place warning signs about leaving kids unattended in cars while parents are shopping.. Some people need reminders ,

[Valerie]

I wonder how long the father was actually away from the vehicle. The article doesn't mention how long the police had to wait for the father to return...

[Fat Lucy]

Its parents like these that make childless women like me want to have these "parents" castrated!

[Roiled]

Great job you guys! Yes! Strip this man and his wife of their child "for the sake of the child" right? Who cares if taking the kid away from them forever scars her emotionally and mentally. 10 minutes in a car with the widows down enough for an arm to get through is SO BAD FOR HER but its okay when you break up a family like that. Give me a break! Ive seen people get off for worse things than that. At most he should have gotten fined for it and slapped a bit. But jeez, jailed? And the kid taken into custody by the dept of child services? Why not give her back to the mother, who must be devastated to have her husband arrested and child snatched from her all in one day. There are real child endangerment issues at hand that go ignored until its too late and here they focus on crumbling a family because of a 10 minute ordeal.

People THINK.

[thuyblum]

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[SmartAssProducts.com]

When are people going to learn that you CANNOT leave living beings inside hot cars? I've known this for decades. It's in the news every year. You hear about kids, pets, and elderly people DYING from being left in hot cars every single year. And yet it continues. Why? What does it take to get the word out?

I'm glad the father was arrested, and I hope the child is safe now. I know nothing about the father except what I read in this article. He may be a perfectly wonderful dad who just happens to be clueless when it comes to parked cars left baking in the sun. I hope he's given the chance to be educated about this issue and that he recognizes the error of his ways.