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The incident occurred in Rockland County around 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, at the Costco parking lot in Nanuet.
According to Det. Norm Peters of the Clarkstown Police, an officer, found the child's father outside the vehicle who said he had accidentally locked the door with the boy inside.
Peters said the officer who could see the boy in the back seat immediately broke the vehicle window.
When he was removed, the child was alert and conscious. He was quickly turned over to Nanuet Community Ambulance and Rockland Paramedic personnel, who were on the scene.
He was then transported to Montefiore Nyack Hospital for further evaluation.
Peters said an investigation found the boy was inside the vehicle for about 15 minutes before being rescued.
The father said he returned to his vehicle to get his wallet, put the boy in the back seat, grabbed it from the truck, and locked the doors.
After futile attempts to enter the vehicle, he ran to get help.
"We would like to thank all of the bystanders on the scene who offered assistance during this event," Peters said. "There was deemed to be no criminality in this incident."
Peters said reminding everyone of the dangers of leaving children or pets in hot vehicles was important.
"On warm days, the temperature inside a car can rise by 20 degrees Fahrenheit in just 10 minutes, and children can heat up 3 to 5 times faster than adults, making them particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses," he said.
In 2021, 23 children lost their lives due to heat-related deaths in vehicles in the US, he added.
Pets, too, face serious health risks from heat exhaustion.
"Please help keep our community safe by never leaving children or pets alone in vehicles, even for a short time, and if you see someone in distress, contact emergency personnel immediately," Peters said.
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