Mom left 6-week-old baby in car in 40-degree Raleigh, hitting toddler :: WRAL.com

A Raleigh mother is accused of hitting her child in the face and leaving her alone in the car in 40-degree temperatures while she worked.

Nikita Jones, 21, is charged with one count of negligent child abuse and one count of child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to the warrants, Jones left her 6-week-old baby unsecured in the back seat of a car in downtown Raleigh while she worked at the McDonald’s on E. South Street. The car wasn’t running and the temperatures at the time were up to 40 degrees.

According to the warrants, Jones is also accused of punching the 6-week-old child in the face, causing bruising to both eyes, swelling and a scratch to his face.

The reported incidents occurred on November 20th and 21st.

It is dangerous to leave children in the car in extreme temperatures – both hot and cold. This week, the North Carolina Center for Missing Persons also warned parents that children left unattended in cars for a moment could be kidnapped.

According to the NC Center for Missing Persons, children have been kidnapped from cars or mistakenly taken in carjackings. The NC Center for Missing Persons warned, “Activities like stopping to pick up groceries, making a quick purchase at a gas station, or dropping off another child are harmless, but these brief moments can create opportunities for tragedy. Vehicle thieves act quickly and impulsively, targeting moving vehicles regardless of what or who is inside.

“It is a common misconception that it is safe to leave a child in a vehicle for ‘just a minute,'” said Morrissa Ahl-Moyer, director of the NC Center for Missing Persons. “Unfortunately, these ‘minutes’ are enough to kidnap or put a child in danger.”