An Arizona man has been sentenced to four months in jail and 10 years on probation for leaving his four children in a sweltering vehicle that reached 124 degrees Fahrenheit while he spent nearly an hour inside an adult store. Authorities claim the children, all under the age of ten, were saved just in time to escape a tragedy.
The Incident: Children Found in Car as Temperatures Soared
The shocking incident occurred in July 2024, when Ascencio Largo, 38, parked his car outside The Adult Shoppe on South 24th Street in Phoenix and left his children inside with the windows up and the motor turned off.
According to a news release from the Phoenix Police Department, police responded to a 911 call reporting four youngsters trapped inside a locked car in high heat.
“The car was turned off and the windows were rolled up,” police said. “Officers recognized the danger this posed to the children and immediately gained access to the vehicle.”
When cops arrived, they saw the found sweating profusely, hot to the touch, and extremely distressed. Each was given water and placed in a patrol van with air conditioning to cool off. Police eventually determined that the interior of the car reached 124°F, while the children’s internal body temperatures ranged from 99.7°F to 100.4°F.
Investigation and Evidence Collected
Bodycam footage released by police showed authorities asking the terrified children where their parents were.
“Where’s mom or dad?” one officer is heard asking as he assists the children from the vehicle. Another adds, “Do you know where your guys’ family is?”
Moments later, authorities located Largo inside a nearby adult store, allegedly ignoring repeated public announcements from store personnel about the children in distress outside.
When approached by authorities, Largo originally denied owning the automobile and walked away, only to admit, “Oh s—,” when he saw his vehicle was surrounded by emergency services. Officers reported that Largo appeared to be intoxicated when they arrested him.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
Largo was arrested and charged with eight felony offenses, including child abuse and endangerment. During his initial court appearance, prosecutors underscored the gravity of his incompetence, referring to the children’s condition as “imminent danger of death.”
“The children were in imminent danger of death in this situation,” one prosecutor said. “Leaving them in a sealed car for nearly an hour in triple-digit heat could easily have been fatal.”
The presiding judge harshly chastised Largo’s conduct during the sentence hearing.
“You could have exited that store to a car full of your dead children, which is rather shocking,” the judge said. “It indicates a strong level of reckless culpability.”
The judge observed that Largo’s actions could have easily made international headlines as a tragic example of parental carelessness. Largo ultimately pleaded guilty and received a four-month jail term followed by ten years of probation.
Reactions from Police and Prosecutors
Law enforcement officials emphasized that the children’s survival was thanks to timely intervention by bystanders and police officers.
“Had it been just minutes longer, this could have been a devastating outcome,” a Phoenix police spokesperson said. “The children were sweating profusely, disoriented, and suffering from heat exhaustion when we arrived.”
Prosecutors stressed that Arizona’s summer temperatures often exceed 110°F, transforming parked vehicles into death traps within minutes. They reminded parents to remember that leaving children unattended in automobiles is both dangerous and illegal, regardless of how short the trip may appear.
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