OZARK COUNTY, Missouri (KY3) – A Gainesville woman has been charged after a child was left in a hot car in April of this year.

According to court documents, Corinna Walker is charged with first-degree child endangerment.

Investigators say Walker went to a convenience store for 26 minutes on April 8 while a child sat in her car with the windows rolled up and the engine off.

The outside temperature that day was 24 degrees, according to authorities. Authorities used a car temperature calculator that day and found that the temperature inside the car rose to 43 degrees.

On April 15, Walker spoke to investigators about the incident. She said she got out of the car to smoke a cigarette. When she was finished, she got back in and parked the car closer to the front of the store. Walker then said she turned off the engine and locked the doors while her child was buckled in a car seat.

Walker said she went into the store to pick up a pizza. According to court documents, after paying for the pizza, Walker began talking to an employee and then went to an ATM to withdraw money. She told investigators she withdrew the money to try out a slot machine in the store.

Investigators asked Walker if she could see her child when she was sitting at the slot machine. Walker replied that she couldn’t, so she stood close to the machine and looked out the window from time to time to check on the child. She told investigators the child showed no signs of stiffness or discomfort.

Walker was arrested in August and is scheduled to appear in court on August 27.

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