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Police: Grandmother cited for leaving 5-year-old in hot car for hours

PITTSBURGH — A Glassport woman is facing charges after allegedly leaving her 5-year-old granddaughter in a hot car for three hours, police said.

Investigators said Virginia McFayden went to work in downtown Pittsburgh last Monday, leaving the young girl inside the car on Ft. Pitt Boulevard.

Authorities told Channel 11's Renee Kaminski that a passerby saw the child inside the vehicle around 8 p.m. and when she walked back about 10 minutes later, the child was still inside, so she called 911.

According to police, McFayden told officers she was in a hurry to get to work and she thought the child had gone back inside of her house. She said she got a number of things out of the back seat, but never saw her granddaughter.

Police said McFayden is facing endangering the welfare of a child charges.

Channel 11 News reached out to get McFayden’s side of the story on Monday, but a man at her house said she wasn’t home.

“Never. There’s no excuse (for this) whatsoever,” said a woman who lives on McFayden’s street.

Channel 11 News consulted emergency room doctors at Allegheny General Hospital who know all about hot cars and children.

“When a routine is broken, that’s when these problems tend to occur,” said Dr. Rade Vukmir.

WPXI

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