Mom locks baby in car, 911 refuses to send police

WATERFORD, Mich. (WJBK) - Lacey Guyton clings to her 2-month-old daughter - thinking about what could have happened to Raina Saturday afternoon.

The infant was accidentally locked in a hot car, and 911 was unwilling to send police or fire.

"It was terrifying. It was like the worst day of my life," said Guyton. "I was so, like, shocked, [thinking] they aren't coming; I have to get her out of here. Nobody's coming to help me."

She had been visiting her grandparents in Waterford. It was time to leave and she put Raina in her car seat and then the car doors inexplicably locked. The keys were inside - and so was the baby. And it was a hot August afternoon.

Immediately Lacey grabbed a chunk of asphalt and tried to break the window while her grandmother called 911.

911 call: "My granddaughter just put her baby in the car and the car door locked and we can't get in it," said grandmother Mary Riley.

911 dispatcher: "We don't unlock vehicles unfortunately."

"We don't unlock cars unfortunately," said Chief Scott Underwood, Waterford police.

The dispatcher said she would transfer them to a tow company. But this wasn't any car - this was a car with a 2-month-old baby inside.

She says, 'Ma'am we can't unlock cars or break windows,'" said Riley. "And then you feel so helpless. All the help we think we were going to get - the only help we were going to get - we don't have it."

"She said we have to call a tow company," Guyton said. "I'm like, grandma, we don't have time to call a tow company. Like I don't know how many minutes I have, until she's passing out."

Unable to break the window, Guyton called 911 again and reached the same dispatcher.

911 call: "Can you send the fire department to come break my window open, I just need it open," Guyton said.

911 dispatcher: "I could send a wrecker service, they will charge you, but the fire department doesn't come out for that."

"I keep checking on her - she's screaming at this point - making herself even more hot," Guyton said. "And she again tells me we have to call a tow company, they don't come out for that - and then she transferred me to a tow company."

Finally, Guyton used a tool to break out the back window and rescue her baby.

"She was really sweaty, screaming, and just drenched in sweat," Guyton said. "She was probably in there like 10 minutes, so we immediately got her out, got her inside, cooled her down."

"It's the most helpless feeling to see your great grandbaby in there crying and drenched in sweat," Riley said. "We want this corrected. We don't want anybody to lose their baby because this wasn't taken care of for us."

The chief of Waterford police agrees. He apologized to the family and said this was definitely a mistake.

Mom locks baby in car, 911 refuses to send police https://t.co/dozXSsAv84
— FOX 2 Detroit (@FOX2News) August 22, 2018

Favorite

0 members favorited this

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by Sam Sammy on August 23, 2018 at 10:58am: He apologized to the family and said this was definitely a mistake.

I call BS, this was NO mistake!

Comment by Cranford Ducain on August 23, 2018 at 7:10am: I know it sounds harsh to say it but, that is why they make spare keys for cars. I keep one in my wallet at all times. My car has the auto-lock feature and will often lock when I get out. I have always taken the keys when I stop, but there is always that fist time.

Comment by Justin Thought on August 22, 2018 at 4:29pm: As things worked out: "Oops! We're sorry! It was definitely a mistake."

Had something happened to the poor baby: "Put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest. You have the right..."

Comment by Nazda Pokmov on August 22, 2018 at 3:24pm: I had to disconnect the automatic locking system in my stupid car as I dislike that system that Ford has. Obviously it was a Ford that locked itself on her.