DELAND, Fla. — Latana Williams remained silent as police tried to question her after she was arrested for leaving her 3-year-old daughter in a hot car on Sunday.
When confronted by a camera, though, Williams took every opportunity to dispute the investigators’ narrative.
She wasn’t inside the DeLand plasma donation center for two hours, she said. Her daughter, who investigators said was found unresponsive when Williams finished her appointment, was fine.
“It couldn’t have been over 30 minutes, and the car was on,” Williams said as she sat in the back of the patrol car. “I was on FaceTime with her the entire time.”
The temperature in DeLand around three Sunday afternoon was approximately 88 degrees. At that temperature, the inside of a car that was shut off would’ve climbed to at least 124 degrees within a half hour, and approximately 130 degrees within an hour, according to data compiled by advocacy group NoHeatStroke.org.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration research shows a child’s body begins to shut down when its internal temperature reaches 104 degrees, with death occurring at 107 degrees.
Investigators said Williams did not have the car running and was not inside for just 30 minutes. They said Williams discovered her daughter unresponsive. Bystanders called 911 and administered CPR.
The child’s temperature and the car’s exact internal temperature will be part of their investigation.
“I would never hurt my child, ever,” Williams said. “I’m not a bad mother… This was a medical emergency, and y’all turned it into a crime scene.”
Williams has been charged with child neglect. Investigators said more charges could be coming.
The girl was in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon, though police said her outlook was improving.
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