20 Minutes Alone: Police Say Infant Left In Parked Car While Caretakers Shopped

Titusville police arrested two babysitters Thursday after a witness reported an infant alone in a hot car in a PETCO parking lot near Columbia Boulevard and Windover Trail. Zoey Connor, 26, and Ethan Humes, 28, face child neglect charges; Humes also faces a charge of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle because he told police he was driving.

The witness called 911 on Oct. 29 after finding a baby girl in the backseat under a blanket, crying, sweating and red, with the car off. She told police the child had been in the car at least five minutes before she placed the call. Officers and paramedics responded, removed the infant and moved her into an air-conditioned patrol vehicle. Paramedics examined her and determined she was not seriously hurt.

Surveillance video showed Connor and Humes inside the store for about 20 minutes. The arrest report said the pair were babysitting the child and had another child with them. Humes said he usually does not leave the house with the infant, which he said is why it "completely slipped his mind" once they reached the store. He said he "did not think to look in the back seat," because the other child could get in and out of the vehicle on his own.

Humes estimated the trip lasted 5 to 10 minutes, but told investigators he was not tracking the time. The report quotes him as saying he would never intentionally cause harm to the infant and "feels extreme guilt about what occurred." A judge set Connor's bond at $50,000 on Friday. The infant was released to a parent, police said. The arrest report does not state how Connor and Humes are related to the child.

Police Chief Tyler Wright said in a statement that the department is grateful the concerned citizen acted when she did. "A single decision to speak up can prevent a tragedy and potentially save a life," Wright said.