A FLORIDA woman has been accused of leaving her two children in a car that caught fire while she shoplifted from a nearby store.
Police said that the children escaped the car with the help of bystanders, with one suffering “several first-degree burns.”
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The suspect, 24-year-old Alicia Moore of Orlando, Florida, is facing charges of aggravated child neglect and arson for the accident.
Police charged her with petty theft and assault and battery on a person over 65 from an unrelated outstanding warrant on the same day.
Police said that Moore spent about an hour allegedly shoplifting inside Orlando‘s Oviedo Mall around noon on May 26 with an “unknown male” at Dilliard’s.
She peeked outside before leaving and saw that her car was in flames, according to the arrest report obtained by NBC News.
When she saw the fire, she “dropped the stolen merchandise” and ran outside to help rescue her children, the report said.
The car was “completely totaled” by the fire, and both children were rushed to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital.
One child received first-degree burns on her face and ears, the report said.
Officials have not released information regarding the cause of the fire, and it was listed as unknown on the police report.
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The report also directly pointed to Moore’s alleged neglect as contributing to the children’s injuries and noted that “the fire occurred during the commission of a felony by Moore.”
Moore was arrested on the scene.
No further details have been released about the “unknown male” who was allegedly shoplifting with Moore.
She refused to give police any details about what happened other than her biographical information, but she did ask for an attorney.
Her bond is set at $20,000, and her arraignment is scheduled for June 27, according to court records.
She pleaded “not guilty” to all charges on Friday, according to Sky News.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/8286499/woman-left-children-in-car-that-caught-fire/