A dad who left his four young children trapped in a scorching 52°C car for nearly an hour while he visited a sex shop has dodged a lengthy prison sentence
A disgraced dad left his four young children trapped in a scorching 52C car for nearly an hour while he visited a sex shop. Despite the horrific accusation, the father has dodged serious jail time.
Ascencio Largo, from Arizona, USA, will only have to serve four months behind bars despite being charged with multiple counts of child abuse and endangerment. The 38-year-old was accused of leaving his children in his car outside an adult store in Phoenix, Arizona, back in July, when the state is notorious for its extremely hot temperatures.
During the month of July in Arizona, especially in the desert areas like Phoenix, the average high temperature is around 40 to 42 degrees Celsius.
As Largo allegedly visited the sex shop, police discovered the four children, aged just two, three, four, and seven, trapped in the suffocating vehicle with the windows up after several alarmed witnesses dialled 911.
Officers later caught Largo emerging from one of the theatre rooms inside the adult store, the New York Post reported.
When Largo finally surfaced, officers said he reeked of alcohol and even tried to insist the car wasn’t his, according to the New York Post.
Inside the vehicle, temperatures had skyrocketed to an unbearable 52C.
Consequently, the children were left with “skin discolouration and profuse sweating” as they waited for help.
Moreover, “the children were in imminent danger of death in this situation”, the prosecutor told the court.
Authorities reportedly added: “The internal temperature of the children was taken and each was near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 38 degrees celsius).”
Bodycam footage reportedly shows police rushing the youngsters into an air-conditioned patrol car and giving them water before they were rushed to hospital.
As a result, Largo faced four counts of child abuse and four of endangerment, but ultimately got just four months behind bars and 10 years’ probation.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters .