Muncie Mom faces felony after leaving kids in hot car
A Muncie woman is facing felony charges after authorities say she left two children alone in a vehicle during extreme heat while she went inside a Walmart.
According to court documents, 35-year-old Lillian Acosta was arrested Tuesday after Walmart security alerted Muncie police that two children had been left unattended inside a silver Dodge Journey. Security personnel reported the children had been alone in the vehicle for approximately 10 minutes before they intervened and removed them.
Acosta told officers she believed she had left the vehicle running and said she was only inside the store for about 10 to 15 minutes. While she described the stop as brief, police say the weather conditions made the situation dangerous.
Officers reported the outdoor temperature was 91 degrees, with the inside of the vehicle significantly hotter, although they did not have equipment to determine the exact temperature. Police said the children were sweating heavily and were very hot to the touch. Emergency medical personnel found both children had elevated body temperatures and heart rates. Paramedics administered electrolytes at the scene before transporting them to a hospital for further evaluation.
Acosta was arrested on preliminary charges of neglect of a dependent, a Level 6 felony. She also had an active warrant related to misdemeanor charges of operating a vehicle without a license.
The incident serves as a reminder that even a short trip into a store can quickly become dangerous during hot weather. Studies have shown that a vehicle’s interior temperature can climb by about 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes, with most of the temperature increase occurring during the first 30 minutes. Children are especially vulnerable because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults. Safety experts also warn that cracking windows or parking in the shade provides little protection against the rapid rise in temperatures.
The case comes as central Indiana remains under an extreme heat warning and follows another high-profile Delaware County case in which a sheriff’s deputy was sued after his disabled daughter died after being left in a hot vehicle in August 2025. Prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges in that case.
Law enforcement officials continue to stress that there is no safe amount of time to leave a child unattended inside a vehicle, regardless of the length of the errand or the type of vehicle.
