NORTH HOLLYWOOD : Children Hurt in Car Fire Remain Hospitalized
Two children left alone in a car when it caught fire Monday night outside a North Hollywood market remained in guarded condition Tuesday, suffering from first- and second-degree burns and smoke inhalation, authorities said.
Alejandrina Banda, 18 months, and her half brother Cristian Ramirez, 3, were pulled from the car by a market employee and Manuel Banda, 27, their father and stepfather, police said.
Banda had left the children in the car while he ran into the store in the 11300 block of Saticoy Street, near their North Hollywood home, police said.
The car apparently was not running when it burst into flames, said Lt. John Dunkin, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. Investigators are looking at the possibility that an electrical malfunction sparked the fire.
Investigators submitted a child endangerment report because the children were left alone, but no criminal charges were expected.
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