Lake City police arrested an 18-year-old Lake Butler woman Saturday after she left her 2-year-old daughter inside a locked car unattended while inside a movie theater.

According to a Lake City Police Department (LCPD) release, officers responded to Regal Cinema 90 at 2830 W. US Highway 90 around 5:49 p.m. to the report of a child locked inside a vehicle.

Upon arrival, officers found the vehicle with a child visibly distressed inside. Officers broke the driver’s side window and removed the child, who was sweating, crying and appearing flushed. Emergency responders transported the child to Lake City Medical Center for treatment.

Officers learned that the child’s mother, Tipora Merriex, had taken her to the movies, along with her younger siblings, but after multiple disruptions, Merriex took her daughter outside and left her unattended inside the locked vehicle and returned to the theater. Witnesses confirmed Merriex stayed in the theater while the child remained in the car on a day where the temperature was 94 degrees with a heat index of 107 degrees, according to the release.

Merriex was arrested and charged with child neglect and transported her to the Columbia County Detention Center. She is being held without bond.

“Our officers acted swiftly to ensure the safety of this young child,” stated Lake City Police Chief Gerald Butler in the release. “Leaving a child unattended in a vehicle under these conditions is unacceptable. We are thankful the child is safe and urge all parents to prioritize the well-being of their children at all times.”

Anyone with information regarding this or any other crime is encouraged to contact the Lake City Police Department at 386-752-4343 or report information anonymously through the LCPD TIPS line at 386-719-2068 or Crime Stoppers of Columbia County at 386-754-7099.