Mother arrested after leaving 3-month-old alone in hot car while she rode horse at fair

Tuesday, August 27, 2024 - A Nebraska mother has been charged with child abuse after allegedly leaving her 3-month-old baby alone in a hot car while she attended a county fair, authorities said.

Cara Dugan, 40, was arrested on Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Merrick County Fairgrounds, the Merrick County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Authorities were called to the county fair around 1:30 p.m. after an infant had reportedly been left unattended in a car.

According to the sheriff's office, the 3-month-old was found after someone heard the infant cry and searched several cars in the area.

The statement says Dugan allegedly left her baby in her pickup truck with the engine off and windows partially open for “a substantial amount of time.”

At the time, Dugan was inside a building riding a horse, the sheriff’s office said.

She was arrested and taken to the Merrick County Jail, where she was booked on one count of felony child abuse.

The 3-month-old, whose sex was not revealed, was evaluated at a local hospital, where medical staff determined the infant was not injured, authorities said.

The baby was then placed in the care of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.