Boaz police arrested a man and woman over the weekend after they reportedly left a child alone in a vehicle while they shopped.
Police on Monday announced charges against Romeo Gabriel Relilosa and Otila Domingo Simon. Both are charged with endangering the welfare of a child and obstructing governmental operations.
Authorities said police responded to Walmart after receiving a call about a toddler left alone in a vehicle in the parking lot. The temperatures outside at the time were estimated to be around 85 degrees. Police said citizens stepped in and got the child out of the car before calling police.
"As temperatures begin to climb, let this serve as a reminder not to leave precious cargo in a hot vehicle. That goes for children and pets,'' the department wrote on its Facebook page.
Efforts to reach Boaz police for additional comment weren't immediately successful.
Since 1998, 711 children have died of heat related deaths in vehicles. So far this year, 11 children have died nationwide after being left in a hot vehicle, including one in Alabama. In 2016, there were a total of 39 juvenile vehicular hyperthermia deaths nationwide, including two in Alabama.