Stockton Mother Arrested for Leaving 3 Children in Hot Car

STOCKTON (CBS SF/BCN) -- Stockton Police arrested a 40-year-old mother Monday afternoon after allegedly leaving three children unsupervised in a hot vehicle, police said.

Raquel Wheeler was arrested on suspicion of leaving her three young girls, ages 1, 6 and 7, in an unattended car, as well as child endangerment and trying to flee the scene of a crime.

Stockton police officers responded to the parking lot of the supermarket WinCo Foods at about 2 p.m. on reports of three young girls who were left unattended inside a vehicle.

At the scene, officers said they saw the doors of the car locked, the windows of the vehicle were rolled up and there was not an adult near the car.

However, police spokesperson Joseph Silva said officers did notice the sunroof of the car was slightly cracked and cold air was felt inside the vehicle.

According to police, the young girls would not open the car door for the officers, so they had to break the car window to get the children out.

Immediately after the girls were rescued, Wheeler tried to move past officers and flee the scene in her car.

Officers said they used control holds to take the suspect into custody. The girls were checked by medics at the scene and were medically cleared.