LONGVIEW (KYTX) - Tonight, Longview police spokeswoman Kristie Brian said reports of parents and pet owners leaving their precious cargo in vehicles is on the rise.
In the past week, Longview police have responded to parents leaving children in vehicles in several locations, including the police station and two local retailers.
On Saturday, July 28, police arrest 26-year-old Stephen Richard Easley and 21-year-old Krystal Dianne Hoover at Wal-Mart, in the 500 block of East Loop 281.
Shortly after 10 p.m., someone noticed two children, ages 2 and 3, unattended in a parked car. Brian said the car was not running, and the kids were sweating. Both kids were treated by EMS and released to their grandmother after Child Protective Services was contacted.
Easley, of Hughes Springs, was released from jail Sunday on $10,000 bond, and Hoover, of Harleton, posted $5,000 bond on Monday. They were each charged with two counts of abandoning or endangering children.
Brian added that the couple had a third child that they took inside the store with them. The spokeswoman added that the department is also getting more calls of pets getting left in cars, including one dog who was seized from its owner by City of Longview animal control officers.
