MARTIN COUNTY — Two Port St. Lucie parents were charged with child neglect after shoppers noticed their 7-month-old girl had been left alone in an unlocked car for half an hour Monday, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said.

Monica Alastra, 33, and Walter Lugo, 32, were taken into custody after they had been shopping at a fabric store in the 3500 block of Southwest Federal Way, Jensen Beach. They each posted $5,000 bail Monday.

Someone called 911 shortly after 7 p.m. when they noticed the infant was in the Toyota minivan in the store parking lot, the Sheriff’s Office said. Deputy Lynn Martella said she found the parents inside the store with a 3-year-old child.

“They seemed relatively calm. They saw that I was holding their child and they were looking at me and they wanted to know, could they have their baby and I said no,” the deputy said. “I said, ‘You understand you’re both going to be placed under arrest,’ and that is when they became upset.”

The infant in the minivan was sweaty and agitated, but did not require medical attention, the deputy said. The Department of Children and Families gave both children to another family member, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Alastra and Lugo told the deputy they had used poor judgment, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

WPTV Channel 5 contributed to this report.

Lamaur Stancil, TCPalm.com

VERO BEACH — An autopsy is scheduled Friday for a 5-month old male infant found dead inside a hot SUV Thursday evening, said Vero Beach Police spokesman John Morrison.

Gannon Werking died Thursday after his mother Stephanie Werking of Sebastian left him inside a parked vehicle, according to a police department news release.

About 5 p.m. Thursday, a passerby called 911 when he saw a woman “screaming hysterically” in the parking lot of First United Bank at 17th Street and Indian River Boulevard, Morrison said.

“The child was obviously deceased at the scene,” he said, adding the cardiopulmonary resuscitation was not performed on the infant. (more…)

FELLSMERE — The mother of the 1-year-old boy found dead in a vehicle last month was charged by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

Alejandra Alvarado, 21, of the 100 block of South Oak Street, Fellsmere, posted $2,500 bail at the Indian River County Jail shortly after she was booked Monday afternoon. Her son, Aiden Alvarado, died after spending at least four hours in the back of his mother’s sport utility vehicle during the afternoon of June 13, detectives said.
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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A device commonly used by air-conditioning technicians is now being used by animal control officers to help them free dogs trapped in hot cars.

Recently, Indian River County Animal Control purchased a couple of infrared thermometers to determine how hot a car is and whether a locksmith should be called to help take an animal out, said Director Jason Ogilvie. The devices cost about $70 and provide an instant temperature reading, as opposed to their previous thermometers, which could take up to five minutes to give a reading, said Animal Control Supervisor Jeff West.

“We had a mercury-type garden thermometer that we would slide into the cars to get the reading,” West said.

That option was less desirable because sometimes the dogs would attack the thermometer, West said. But officers can point the infrared device at a car from a few feet away to get results. West said he learned about the infrared device from a friend in the air-conditioning business.

“People would see the dog in the car while I was waiting on the thermometer and ask me ‘why aren’t you doing anything?’ We need to have evidence if we’re going to enter someone’s car.”

In one case under review for prosecution for abandonment, the animal died from heatstroke, officials said.

“We’re trying to educate the public,” said Ilke Daniel, spokeswoman for the Humane Society. “Sometimes people are unaware of the impact the heat can have.”

Animal Control received almost 70 calls last year for animals left inside cars, all between March and October.

By Lamaur Stancil, TCPalm.com

FELLSMERE — A 1-year-old boy will be buried Friday as authorities continue the investigation into his death.

Family members found Aiden Alvarado unconscious inside a sports utility vehicle parked in the 100 block of Oak Street about 5 p.m. Saturday, Indian River County Sheriff’s Sgt. Thom Raulen said Thursday. Paramedics from Indian River County Fire Rescue arrived and declared the boy was dead, Raulen said. Family members told investigators the boy was in a car for at least a couple of hours.

The state Medical Examiner’s Office said heat was a prime factor in the boy’s death, Raulen said. Saturday’s high temperature reached 86 degrees in Vero Beach. (more…)