Baby left in car while Inkster mother shops in Dearborn Heights

Shoppers discover baby left alone in car

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – Shoppers were outraged Thursday when they saw a baby who had been left in a car while the mother shopped in Dearborn Heights.

Lawanna Thomas said she made the shocking discovery before 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the parking lot of a Gordon's Food Service.

"It's a baby," Thomas said. "Anybody in there? It's a baby in the back seat asleep."

Thomas said she alerted others in the parking lot.

"Hey, somebody left a baby in the car," she told them.

Some of the shoppers went looking for the mother, who they said was inside the store shopping and talking on her cellphone. The child had been left alone in the car with the car still running.

Thomas said she called 911 and Dearborn Heights police at 6:27 p.m. By 6:52 p.m., Dearborn Heights police still weren't there, so the woman got in her car and left. Officers never showed up.

The car is registered to a woman who lives in Inkster. Local 4 showed the video to the woman's grandmother, and she's furious. She said the baby boy is 7 months old and shouldn't have been left alone in a car.

"I can't believe she would leave her baby in the car," she said. "I haven't talked to her today."


About the Authors:

Local 4 Defender Shawn Ley is an Emmy award-winning journalist who has been with Local 4 News for more than a decade.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.