facebook-pixel

Utah mother arrested for punishing her 4-year-old son by shutting him in a hot truck

A Utah woman who put her 4-year-old son in a hot truck as punishment has been arrested and put in a jail cell.

The 28-year-old mother told Draper police at about 9 p.m. Tuesday that the boy was “acting out” so she placed him in the vehicle with the doors and windows shut. According to a probable cause statement, it was about 82 degrees at the time at Draper City Park, where the truck was parked. And when the officer removed the boy from the car his head was “hot to the touch,” he was “sweating” and he had “puffy eyes.”

Police said the woman told them she had been using meth and heroin, and that the boy was found next to a used syringe and the other drug paraphernalia.

The woman was booked into the Salt Lake County jail for investigation of child endangerment and child abuse and neglect.

Support free news for Utah

sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.

Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.

You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.