A woman has been accused of leaving her 3-year-old granddaughter in a car for roughly an hour while she shoplifted at a store in South Carolina, according to an incident report obtained by WCIV.
The report notes that 55-year-old Pamela Lawson is now facing charges.
Late Saturday afternoon, officers arrived at Big Lots on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard for reports that a child was naked in a car by herself.
Police spoke with a witness, who said he spotted the child sticking her head out of a window at 5:20 p.m. EDT. Ten minutes later, a second witness arrived.
At this time, the car door was partially open.
The two witnesses grew concerned for the child's safety, according to the report. When they approached the car, they realized it was off and called police.
The passersby provided water for the child and asked her what happened.
The toddler told them she was hot, so she cut her clothes off with a pair of scissors and partially opened the door while she waited for her grandmother to return.
An employee at Big Lots made an announcement regarding the situation, which prompted Lawson to exit the store and head to her car.
Lawson told police she had been in the store for roughly 25 minutes and had left the car running with the air conditioning on. However, an employee refuted her claims, saying she was in the store for about an hour.
Police also noted she brought her keys with her into the store.
Lawson said she didn't bring the child in because she was already naked, which didn't line up with her granddaughter's story.
Additionally, a Big Lots employee reported Lawson concealed items in her purse and on her person before she exited the store, according to the report.
While the child was waiting in the car, it was 88 degrees and sunny, police said. The child was sweaty and warm to the touch when she was found.
At 90 degrees, it takes a vehicle just 10 minutes for its inside temperature to reach roughly 109 degrees. After 30 minutes, that temperature spikes to 124 degrees.
Big Lots decided not to pursue charges against Lawson in connection to the shoplifting. However, police arrested her and booked her into the Al Cannon Detention Center on a charge of unlawful conduct toward a child.
Lawson was granted a $5,000 bond, which she posted on Monday.