Police: Mom left toddler in hot car while at DCS appointment

A mother meeting with the Department of Children Services (DCS) regarding the health of her newborn was arrested for leaving her toddler in a hot car during the meeting, police said.

Jennifer K. Ost, 27, of Milroy, Indiana, was arrested at Community Hospital in Anderson, around 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis, on July 16.

Ost had given birth to a boy at Decatur County Memorial Hospital four days earlier and had signed him out against medical advice, Fox 59 reports.

A physician examined the newborn during Ost’s 2:30 p.m. meeting with a DCS employee, social worker, and hospital police officer.

The hospital received a phone call around 4:30 p.m. stating there was a small child in a car in the parking lot.

Hospital police found the child watching a movie on a cell phone inside the vehicle with its windows closed while the outside temperature was 86 degrees.

The child, reported to be wet from sweating, was determined to be Ost’s son.

Ost told police she decided to leave the child in the car because he did not want to come to the appointment with her,

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Ost is charged with neglect of a dependent and her bond was set at $10,000,

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Both the newborn and toddler were taken into DCS custody.