A New Haven woman has been charged with leaving her six children in a car at the height of last week's heat.
Hamden police responded to a parking lot at 1245 Dixwell Avenue around 1:30 p.m. Thursday after a caller said the children were unattended in a hot car. Officers found the children, ranging from 2 through 12 years old inside the vehicle. According to police, the temperature was around 98 degrees at the time they arrived at the scene.
Three of the children were strapped into car seats, and sweating profusely, Capt. Ronald Smith said.
Officers located the mother, Porseha Benjamin, 32, in a store and asked her to come back to the car. She had been gone for 15 to 20 minutes, police said. Benjamin admitted to officers she had left the children alone for a few minutes, according to police.
Officers arrested Benjamin and charged her with six counts of leaving a child unattended in a car. She was released on a promise to appear in court in Meriden July 6.
Police contacted the Department of Children and Families about the incident.
