THORNTON, Colo. — A grandfather was arrested earlier this month after a 7-year-old girl used a mallet to break out of a hot car, the Thornton Police Department said Wednesday in its weekly briefing.
On July 6 around 5:30 p.m., Thornton police were called to the area of E. 88th Ave, on report of a child locked inside a vehicle while it was approximately 90 degrees outside.
Thornton police said investigators found a 62-year-old man had left his granddaughter alone in the vehicle while he went into a nearby store. After about 20 minutes, the child got overheated and used a mallet that was inside the car to break a passenger window. Bystanders helped the child out of the vehicle before first responders arrived, according to Thornton police.
After the window was broken, Thornton police said the temperature inside the vehicle read 121 degrees. Firefighters estimated it had exceeded 150 degrees while the child was inside, according to Thornton police.
The 7-year-old girl only had minor injuries from the window's broken glass and received medical treatment at the scene. Her grandfather was arrested on charges of child abuse.
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