NEEDLES, Calif. – The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arrested three adults Wednesday after finding five children in an unventilated crate attached to a pickup truck. At the time the kids were located, outside temperatures reached nearly 100 degrees, according to local reports.
Deputies stopped the vehicle in the city of Needles after receiving a call from someone who became concerned about the children’s safety after seeing the vehicle on Interstate 40 near the Fenner Rest Area, the Press-Enterprise reported.
The children ranged from 1 to 13 years old and were not properly restrained in the moving vehicle, Fox 11 reported. The crate reportedly had no ventilation, air conditioning or water inside.
Children left inside hot vehicles can fall victim to heatstroke or death.
According to AAA, children perish under these circumstances about once every 10 days. Most vehicular heatstroke deaths occur because a distracted parent or caregiver forgot about a quiet child in the backseat – not criminal negligence, Fox reported.
In addition to finding children in abhorrent conditions, deputies also located narcotics, drug paraphernalia, and a shotgun.
Three Sacramento adults were arrested for child endangerment. They were identified as Kenneth Standridge, 40, Zona Brasier, 39, and Aushajuan Hardy, 41.
The children were taken into protective custody by San Bernardino County Children and Family Services, according to the Press-Enterprise. It’s unclear what relationship the children have with the arrestees.
Standridge faces additional charges for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm as well as DUI. Hardy also had a no bail felony warrant from his home city. The charges were not specified.
Brasier’s bail was set at $150,000, and Strandridge’s at $75,000.