LAWRENCE, IN – An Indiana couple, Mirianne Pierre and Watson Joseph, both 31, have been arrested after allegedly leaving their two young children in a car without air conditioning for 45 minutes in the sweltering heat while they shopped at Walmart.

The incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. on Monday in Lawrence, just northeast of Indianapolis. A passerby noticed the children alone in the turned-off 2017 Ford Edge and called 911, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. Fire crews responded and opened the car to rescue the children. One child was reported to be “sweating profusely from his head and neck,” while the other appeared dazed.

Police arrived at the scene around the same time as the parents, who seemed “confused as to what was going on.” Pierre told detectives she had been in the store for “a little bit” and that Joseph had come inside to help her carry heavy items. She also claimed that the SUV runs for an additional five minutes without the key nearby.

Surveillance footage showed the parents arriving and entering the store at approximately 6:27 p.m., indicating that around 45 minutes had passed between the time they left the children and when first responders arrived.

The couple is currently behind bars, facing charges related to the incident.

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