Altoona mother accused of leaving infant inside hot car while grocery shopping, police say

BLAIR COUNTY, Pa (WJAC) — Altoona police say a Blair County mother is behind bars after she reportedly left her 4-month-old child inside a hot car while she was grocery shopping.

Authorities say 40-year-old Jade Diggs was arrested over the weekend after the infant was left inside a vehicle with the windows up and the car shut off.

According to the affidavit, police say the child was “extremely lethargic” and “breathing heavily” when officers arrived at Diggs’ Oak Avenue home.

Police say the infant was then transported to UPMC Altoona, for further evaluation, due to having an elevated temperature and “a heart rate over 200 bpm.”

Authorities say that when they questioned Diggs, she reportedly made the statement, “this is why I don’t like calling 911, because investigations start then.”

Police say Diggs later explained that she often takes the child with her to the store, unless he is sleeping, then she stated that she will leave him at home.

Investigators say Diggs told officers that she drove to the the WEIS Supermarket, located in the Park Hills Plaza, where she spent approximately one hour grocery shopping.

When she returned home, police say Diggs admitted to forgetting the infant inside the car before finding him “limp and unresponsive.”

Investigators noted that the outside temperature was approximately 90-degrees at the time.

Police say officers also reviewed surveillance footage, which reportedly confirmed an approximate 40-minute window from the time that Diggs left the store to when she arrived home.

Authorities also noted that Diggs has been previously charged for incidents in which her children were “put in danger,” including DUI charges for driving with her kids in the car.

According to online court records, Diggs faces charges of felony aggravated assault, child endangerment and reckless endangerment.

She is jailed at the Blair County Prison on $75,000 bail.