A Nebraska police captain was placed on leave for allegedly leaving her toddler locked inside a car in nearly 80-degree weather while she went fishing with her partner.
Capt. Mayde McGuire, 54, and her partner, Mary Tobiassen, 49, were allegedly out casting lines at Lincoln’s Pawnee Lake around 4 p.m. Sunday when alarmed bystanders spotted the distressed 2-year-old trapped in the parked vehicle, police said.
When police arrived, the child was already out, according to Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner, who warned of the dangers of hot cars.
“We just can’t emphasize enough how quickly the interior of a vehicle can get extremely hot. Even on a 78-degree day, which is pretty pleasant for us outdoors,” Wagner told reporters.
“Inside a vehicle, it gets extremely hot, extremely quick, and so children just cannot be left inside a vehicle at this time of year.”
The tot was reportedly locked in the car for at least 28 minutes before deputies arrived.
The temperature outside at the time was 78 degrees, comfortable for fishing but potentially lethal for a small child in a contained space.
McGuire registered a blood alcohol content of .108 after submitting to a breathalyzer test, the sheriff said.
Tobiassen and McGuire were charged with misdemeanor child abuse, and McGuire was cited and placed on leave from the Lincoln Police Department.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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