Indiana Woman Arrested for Leaving Child Outside in Triple-Digit Heat

In Evansville, Indiana, a mother named Lissandra Denis was arrested on neglect charges after leaving her young child outside without food or water for several hours during extreme heat conditions, with temperatures reaching a heat index of 101 degrees. Witnesses reported the child was outside from early morning around 7 a.m. until at least 3:30 p.m., crying for the mother who did not check on the child, while the door to the apartment was locked. Police noted Denis claimed she was doing laundry and allowed the child to play outside, but she repeatedly avoided specifying the timing. The Department of Child Services placed the child with the father following the incident. The case highlights the dangers of extreme heat exposure, with a heat dome causing triple-digit temperatures across much of the U.S. This incident, along with a separate case in Gainesville, Georgia, where a toddler was found wandering alone and the mother was charged with reckless conduct, underscores concerns about child safety in extreme conditions.