Infant found in hot, unlocked Ont. car

A woman called police after she found an infant alone in a car east of Ottawa Monday as the temperatures hovered around 30 C.

"She was quite concerned, obviously for the welfare of the child, given the heat," Ontario Provincial Police Sgt. Dave Lemieux said.

Police are investigating and charges could be laid against the child's mother, Lemieux said.

"We take this very seriously.… It's a potential life-threatening situation for anything that's in a vehicle, whether it's human or animal."

Lemieux confirmed police received a call from a woman who heard a baby crying in the parking lot of a Jean Coutu pharmacy in Rockland, Ont., about 40 kilometres east of Ottawa, over the lunch hour.

The woman tracked the cries to a vehicle, looked inside, and saw an infant who was about two months old. She tried opening the doors, found one unlocked, and opened it up and picked up the baby.

A woman who claimed to be the child's mother then arrived, confronted the Good Samaritan, demanded the child back, and drove away.

The mother had apparently been at an ice cream stand nearby, but did not have a clear line of sight to her vehicle, Lemieux said.

Police have the licence plate number of the vehicle involved and were still trying to track down the car Monday afternoon.