4-day-old baby left in hot car in Massachusetts

LEOMINSTER, Mass. — A scare happened at a Leominster, Massachusetts, supermarket after a 4-day-old newborn was left locked inside of a hot car while her mother was inside shopping.

>> Read more trending news

Mother Sharma Murphy said that on her way to Market Basket supermarket on Friday, she stopped by the fire house to make sure her baby’s car seat was properly installed.

Less than an hour later, those firefighters helped rescue her 4-day-old baby, who was locked in her hot car.

A shopper called Leominster police after spotting a newborn alone inside a car. It was Sharma Murphy's silver Chevy Malibu.

Murphy said she was out for the first time with her newborn daughter, 4-day-old Katherine, and was nervous.

“I went, I bought it. Came right out and this lady just starts screaming at me. Screaming at me,” said Murphy.

Murphy said she brought her newborn inside with her to Market Basket and then returned to the car when Katherine fell asleep. She said that she ran back inside for two or three minutes to buy some baby formula.

“I went (in and) I bought it,” Murphy said. “(I) came right out and this lady just starts screaming at me.”

Police said the windows were rolled up.

“I believe she locked her keys in the car because they had to use the jimmy to get the baby out,” witness John Casey told WFXT.

According to WFXT meteorologists, the outside temperature was 84 degrees at the time.

Murphy said she didn’t want to wake her newborn.

“I thought, ‘OK, if I run in and run out...’ It was one of those things where she's gotta eat because I have nothing left for her and that's when everything happened and I'm like, oh my God,” Murphy said.

Katherine was taken to the hospital to be checked out. Her mother said he is fine.

The baby is currently in custody of DCF. No charges have been filed.

Cox Media Group