The King County Sheriff’s department reported that a 31-year-old Issaquah man was arrested Wednesday, July 24, after leaving his 3-month-old son in the car while he shopped at QFC. The car was locked with the windows rolled up.

King County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call at the shopping center in the 4500 block of Klahanie around 7 p.m. A witness told police she saw the baby in the car in the parking lot — with no one around. The witness went into nearby stores trying to find the owner of the car and had store employees announce the information over the public address system to no response.

When police arrived the baby was still in the car. A sergeant immediately grabbed a hammer from his patrol car and knocked out a window to rescue the baby. The baby was lethargic and slow to respond when pulled from the hot car and was taken to Issaquah-Swedish hospital for treatment.

The father was eventually located in the QFC. Police believe he left the child in the car for about 20 minutes. He was arrested and booked for second degree child abandonment.

Deputies notified child protective services; the child was released to his mother.

Safe Kids Eastside said that this summer, there have already been 23 child deaths by heatstroke across the country. Safe Kids Eastside reminds parents and caregivers that leaving children unattended in a hot car can have deadly consequences.

For more information visit www.safekids.org/heatstroke.