SCOTT TOWNSHIP (KDKA) – A mother of three is facing charges after leaving her children alone in a hot car.

Martina Searcy, 22, of Carnegie, allegedly left the kids in the car with the windows barely cracked on an 84-degree day.

The car was in the Walmart parking lot in Scott Township.

“The children were sweating profusely,” Scott Township Police Sgt. Jeff Skees said. “One child was dehydrated and they were ultimately taken to the hospital by ambulance.”

One of the children is seven months old. The two others were ages four and five. The children were believed to be in the car for about 15 minutes.

“Could have been potentially life-threatening,” Skees said.

Police say Searcy came outside after officers opened the car doors to give the children some air.

“According to the officers, she didn’t think there was a problem,” Skees said. “She went in to cash a check and just left the kids there for what she said was a couple minutes.”

CYF was notified.

Searcy is charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of children.

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