PARENTS ARRESTED AFTER LEAVING CHILDREN IN HOT VEHICLE DURING WALMART VISIT

Cambridge, MD-Two small children were found unattended in a vehicle at Walmart during the sweltering summer weather conditions in Cambridge, Maryland. The incident took place on July 31, 2024, at 12:57 p.m.

Cambridge Police Department Officers were alerted to the presence of the unattended children, who, upon their arrival, were discovered in a car that was not running and had only a partially open window for ventilation.

Located in the vehicle were two children, a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old, left alone and in distress. The weather at the time was 88 degrees, but it felt like 100 degrees. CPD Officers observed that the small children were sweating profusely, harrowing evidence of the severe heat exposure.

The older child, a 4-year-old, was found crying and visibly distressed, a heartbreaking sight that heightened the severity of the situation. Dorchester County EMS was immediately summoned to the location to evaluate the condition of the two children.

The heat exposure caused both children to vomit; they were later transported to the University of Maryland Shore Medical Center at Cambridge for further evaluation.

The parents were located and identified when they returned to their vehicle after a 10-15 minute venture inside Walmart. This incident is a stark reminder of the horrifying consequences of parental neglect and failure to prioritize child safety in hot weather conditions.

The parents were identified as the following:

- Salvelia Josefina Lucas (41 years old from Cambridge, MD)

- Salvador Dejesus Delcid-Aguilar (48 years old from Cambridge, MD)

Both Lucas and Delcid-Aguilar were arrested and transported to CPD for processing and their initial appearances before a Court Commissioner.  

The Court Commissioner later released both subjects on their personal recognizance. Child Protective Services (CPS) has been notified and is assisting in this investigation.  

Both were charged with the following:

• Neglect of Minor (2 counts)
• Confine Unattended Child (2 counts)
• Reckless Endangerment (2 counts)