A man in Punta Gorda has been charged for leaving his autistic stepdaughter in a locked car.
"I feel so bad for this girl. I mean, first of all, she has all these problems and then somebody who's supposed to be taking care of her does it," said Donna Schwartz.
People like Donna Schwartz said they are horrified by the thought of someone leaving their stepdaughter in a locked car.
"I'm sure it's hard on the person taking care of her, but there are resources, and you should never do that to anybody. That poor thing," said Schwartz.
Staff members at a nearby rental car center on U.S. 41 said they saw a car parked in the lot last Friday and Saturday, and heard noises coming from it.
On Monday, police found a woman in the car with the back windows only open about an inch. All she said was “mamma” or “mamma not here" to the officer on scene.
Temperatures were about 80 degrees, with not enough fresh air coming in the car. Fortunately, the woman with autism was ok.
"I think we were lucky that the temperatures were not as high as they get down here in this area. That's always a concern. Whenever anyone is left inside of a vehicle for an extended period of time in Florida weather," said Eric Burris, administrative services supervisor for Punta Gorda Police Department.
The girl's stepfather Anthony Taylor said he left her in the car while he worked nearby because he didn't have anyone to watch her. He is charged with neglecting a disabled adult.
It's a serious crime. Somebody should be taking this child, this woman, and he shouldn't have contact with her anymore and get whatever help he needs," said Schwartz.
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