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Man allegedly leaves young children in car outside jail, is arrested

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A Garden Grove man faces possible child cruelty charges after leaving his three young children in an illegally parked car while he deposited money into his wife’s Orange County Jail account, authorities said.

Gerardo Jose Jimenez, 29, is suspected of leaving his car across the street from the Orange County Jail with the three children -- ages 5 months to 7 years -- inside on Monday, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.

An off-duty sheriff’s deputy approached the car after noticing the Honda Accord was parked illegally and partially obstructing traffic on 6th Street. The engine was not running and the windows were open, authorities said.

Jimenez told the deputy he couldn’t find parking and didn’t want to wake up his 5-month-old child. He added that he had left the air conditioning on, authorities said.

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Deputies determined the children were left in the car for more than five minutes before they were spotted.

The County Social Services Agency’s children and families division took custody of the three children before taking them to Orangewood Children’s Home.

Jose Jimenez was arrested and jailed in Santa Ana on suspicion of cruelty to a child with possible injury or death.

For Orange County news, follow @AdolfoFlores3.

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