Mum charged as baby was allegedly left in hot car at Point Cook

A baby remains in a critical condition two days after being allegedly locked in a hot car for hours while his mum was at a Point Cook hotel.

Police attend Brook Hotel in Point Cook after a child was found locked in a parked car. Picture: Point Cook TV

A baby boy is fighting for life in hospital after allegedly being left in a locked car at a Point Cook hotel, as police ­investigate whether his mum was ­playing pokies inside.

The 32-year-old mother, from Gladstone Park, was charged with negligently causing serious injury and reckless conduct endangering life.

She was bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on January 23.

The Herald Sun understands police are probing if the one-year-old had been alone in the car for up to five hours — with outside temperatures at 33C — while his mum was in The Brook hotel.

On a scorching day, the interior of a car can reach 30C hotter than outside.

The boy was found in the vehicle in the hotel’s car park on Sneydes Rd about 3.15pm yesterday.

Paramedics took him to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition.

Police rushed to the scene at the Brook Hotel in Point Cook. Picture: Point Cook TV

On Friday morning, a spokesperson for the Royal Children’s Hospital confirmed that the 14-month old boy remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.

A woman who rushed over to help said the mother was in tears and in a state of shock as a doctor worked on the baby.

“She was on the phone, crying a lot,” the witness, who asked not to be named, said. “She was stunned, I guess.”

The witness said once the mother had realised the state her baby was in, she ran into the hotel and asked for help.

Hotel staff called triple-0 and went to the neighbouring medical centre for assistance, with a doctor from the centre first on scene.

There were multiple people gathered inside the hotel reception area as the doctor checked on the baby who was placed on a couch, the witness said.

She said everyone there was shaken up.

“We’re all feeling very sad and distressed,” she said. “Just shocked and upset. We’re still really upset this morning.

Signs in the Brook Hotel’s carpark. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

“Seeing the poor little defenceless boy there, it was hard. It’s just heartbreaking.

“Everyone’s just worried about the poor baby. We just hope he pulls through, that’s the main thing.”

She said it appeared the baby had been left inside a white Suzuki Swift in the car park, which had its windows partially open.

“I’m hoping the windows were open the whole time,” she said. “I’m not sure.”

The hotel reopened this morning, with several staff members hugging and consoling each other as they walked in.

There are multiple signs placed around the venue’s car park that say “do not leave children in cars”.

A crime scene was set up outside the hotel and at least seven officers attended the scene. The hotel, usually open until midnight, closed by 7pm last night.

If the boy does not survive, the investigation — currently being managed by local police — could be transferred to the homicide squad.

Crime scene investigators at the scene. Picture: Point Cook TV

North West Metro Region Commander Tim Hansen said the incident was “concerning”.

“I just don’t know how much more messaging authorities need to do about the risk and the dangers of leaving children unattended in cars,” he said today.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s for five seconds, five minutes or five hours, it is just a practice that bewilders me both as a parent and as a police officer.

“The emergency services that need to attend these types of jobs are often left traumatised by it,” he said.

“I’d just ask people to think about their actions. It doesn’t matter if you’re just running into the shops or whether you’re going into a hotel or into a private house, just think about the outcome and the potential risks of leaving an unattended child in a car on what can sometimes be just the most mildest of days, too.

“It doesn’t take a lot for the inside temperature of a car to escalate quite quickly.”

Staff at the Brook hotel were today being offered counselling.

Monash University gambling expert Associate Professor Charles Livingstone said pokie machines can be “powerfully addictive” and need to be regulated further.

“Once you are in front of a machine, the capacity for rational thought diminishes rapidly, particularly for people who have a serious addiction,” Mr Livingstone said.

“Pokie machines have features that make them very difficult to get away from, in some cases people wet themselves at the pokies and even wear nappies because they are so powerfully addictive. They should not be underestimated.”

Mr Livingstone said key reforms that should be enacted in Victoria include:

-COMPULSORY nomination of how much money users are willing to gamble

-MANDATORY 10 minute breaks every 50 minutes from machines

-REDUCING maximum bets

-REMOVING the more addictive features of some games

-REDUCING the opening hours of venues with pokie machines

Mr Livingstone said the news out of Point Cook was “tragic” to hear.

“It saddens me deeply, but it is not surprising and sadly I think it will happen again,” he said.

HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN LOCKED IN CARS

The incident comes less than a month after the state government launched the Never Leave Kids in Cars campaign.

Between January and November last year, paramedics were called to more than 1490 people locked in cars. That included babies, toddlers and children.

Kidsafe Victoria General Manager Jason Chambers said the temperature inside a car on a hot day could be 20C to 30C hotter than outside.

“The major temperature increase happens in the first five minutes,” he said. “It becomes dangerous really quickly.”

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said she was “absolutely gutted” by the incident.

“My thoughts are with this little baby. We’ve got a one-year-old baby in hospital fighting for its life,” she said this morning.

“It’s a tragic set of circumstances and it is a very clear reminder about the risks of leaving a child unattended in a vehicle, particularly on a hot day.”

The one-year-old was found alone in the vehicle. Picture: Point Cook TV

“We know that the temperatures in a car double within five minutes, so no amount of time is safe.”

Ms Mikakos launched the state government’s annual campaign less than a month ago to highlight the risks of leaving children in cars.

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“It is very disappointing that anyone would not be heeding this message,” she said.

After last night’s incident, Ms Mikakos said she was prepared to look at “every opportunity to help get this message out to parents”, adding that she would take advice from experts on whether particular messaging was needed around gaming venues.

“I will keep talking about this for as long as it takes,” she said.

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Originally published as Mum charged as baby was allegedly left in hot car at Point Cook