An Indiana mother was arrested earlier this month for allegedly leaving her toddler son in a hot car during a Department of Child Services meeting regarding an incident involving her 4-day-old son.
Jennifer K. Ost, 27, reportedly arrived at Community Hospital and met with a DCS worker and hospital police officer on July 16, days after she gave birth to her son and allegedly signed him out against medical advice. Ost was “evasive,” “belligerent,” and “cursing” at the DCS worker as a physician examined her newborn son, according to court documents acquired by WXIN.
Roughly two hours into the meeting, the hospital reportedly received a call stating that there was a small child in a car located in the parking lot. The news station reported that responding officers found the child climbing around the vehicle and watching a movie on a cell phone.
Authorities alleged that all the car’s windows were up and the toddler was soaked in his own sweat. Though the toddler didn’t reply when an officer asked for his name, he identified Ost as the boy’s mother once inside the hospital, according to The Herald Bulletin.
According to an affidavit obtained by the newspaper, Ost claimed she didn’t bring her other son into the hospital for the DCF meeting because he didn’t want to come inside, leading her to leave him in the vehicle for approximately two hours.
Ost was ultimately arrested and charged with neglect of a dependent. A doctor examined the toddler before he and the newborn were placed in DCS custody.
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[Featured image: Jennifer Ost/handout]
