Mother arrested after leaving three-month-old baby in hot car while she rode a horse
A mother in Nebraska is facing a child abuse charge after allegedly leaving her three-month-old baby alone in a hot car while she rode a horse at a county fair.
PEOPLE Magazine reported that Cara Dungan, 40, was arrested at the Merrick Country Fairgrounds on Aug. 24. Authorities were called there at around 1:30 p.m. after an infant had reportedly been left unattended in a car.
Authorities said that temperatures at the time reached up to 90F (32.2C).
The baby was found after someone heard the baby's cries and searched several cars in the area.
According to the police, Dugan allegedly left her baby in her pickup truck with the engine off and windows partially open for “a substantial amount of time.”
Dugan, meanwhile, was riding a horse inside a building.
That's when she was arrested and booked on one count of felony child abuse.
It’s unclear if she has entered a plea or got a lawyer to speak on her behalf, PEOPLE reported.
The baby's sex wasn't revealed.
The baby did not sustain injuries, based on the assessment of medical staff.
After the incident, the baby was placed in the care of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.