NORTHBORO, Mass. — A Worcester man is facing child endangerment charges after leaving a child in a locked car at a Walmart parking lot on a searing 90-degree day.
Luis Fernando Lopez Veloz, 40, of Worcester, was arrested by Northborough police after officers responded to the Walmart on Otis Street for a report of a child locked in a car.
Northborough Police and Fire quickly located the vehicle and were able to safely remove the child from the car.
The child was evaluated by EMS and taken to an area hospital to be evaluated.
Police found Lopez Veloz and determined the Worcester man was shopping while he left the small child was left in the car.
According to prosecutors, not only was the car dangerously hot, but the windows were also up, and the car was completely off.
“On that day, it should be noted that it was 90 degrees outside. There was also a heat advisory,” Assistant District Attorney, Carla Jackson, said to the judge.
Shoppers who quickly noticing there was no air conditioning in the car because it was parked with no driver in sight, called the police.
When the 2-year-old’s father, Luis F. Lopez Veloz, finally came outside, he saw the police surrounding his car.
“He was essentially void of expression or emotion when they approached and asked him whether or not this was his car or his son,” Jackson stated.
He was then arrested and charged with one count of the Reckless Endangerment of a Child.
“I can tell you there were some unusual circumstances this day which may have led to him not realizing the child was in the vehicle,” Defense Attorney, Gabriel Vazquez, explained.
Facing a judge the very next day, Lopez Veloz, explained with the help of a translator and his court-appointed attorney, he forgot the child was in the car because he had just dropped off other relatives, including his 8-year-old daughter at their family home in Worcester.
“I think the evidence supports that this wasn’t a situation where he attempted to keep the car on with air conditioning; he was in there basically going through his normal shopping routine. I think the government suggesting that he didn’t immediately or visibly have tears or didn’t express extreme emotion, that it somehow suggests it was intentional, but he indicates he was basically in shock when he was able to find out what happened,” Vazquez said.
Prosecutors requested that he have no contact with his child.
The judge ultimately decided to allow supervised contact and released him on cash bail.
The mother of the child, and wife of Lopez Veloz, was in the court room and with the help of a translator, told the defense attorney that he was a good father.
“I spoke with my client’s wife, the mother of the child. She tells me he has been nothing but a loving father, attentive and dotes on his children,” Vazquez said.
He is set to undergo a mental health evaluation and due back in court in July.
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