SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A central Florida woman was accused of shoplifting after leaving three children inside of a parked car, which later caught fire.
An arrest report obtained by NBC affiliate WESH stated that on May 26, Alicia Moore, 24, left three children inside of a parked car while she allegedly shoplifted from Dillard’s at the Oviedo Mall.
Store security told investigators from the Oviedo Police Department that they “observed Moore and another unknown male begin to shoplift items. They were watched by security for approximately one hour.”
Meanwhile, police said a shopper helped rescue the children from the burning car. They were rushed to the hospital and treated for first-degree burns, with one child suffering “several first-degree burns, specifically to her face and ears,” according to the arrest report.
Moore discovered her car – which was parked in an accessible parking space – had burst into flames shortly after stepping out of the store. She dropped the alleged stolen items, police said.
Moore was booked into the Seminole County Jail on charges of aggravated child neglect and arson, because the fire happened during the commission of a felony. She was also arrested on outstanding warrants from multiple counties, unrelated to the May 26 incident, according to WESH.
Moore pled not guilty to the child neglect and arson charges during her first court appearance on Friday.