Mother Is Accused of Leaving Sons in Hot Car

A Thousand Oaks mother has been arrested on suspicion of leaving her young children inside a hot vehicle while she went shopping.

Karen Allen, 37, allegedly left her two boys, ages 1 and 4, in a 1994 Honda Accord for more than 15 minutes Thursday afternoon while she shopped at a Target in Newbury Park.

Although the Accord’s front windows were slightly open, temperatures inside the car exceeded 110 degrees, said Capt. Ron Nelson, a spokesman for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

Another shopper alerted authorities, and deputies arrived at the parking lot as Allen returned to the car. The children were removed and examined by an ambulance crew for signs of heat exhaustion.

“The kids were sweaty and hot, but otherwise healthy,” Nelson said.

Allen was booked into Ventura County Jail on suspicion of felony child endangerment and later released on $50,000 bail. The children were left in the care of their father.

With summer approaching, Nelson urged adults not to leave children or pets unattended in hot vehicles. He said the department receives at least a dozen such calls each summer.