New footage shows the moments after a young girl was rescued from a hot car while her mother was shopping, Florida police said — though the parent reportedly won’t be prosecuted in the incident.
The 4-year-old child was pulled to safety from the SUV in the parking lot of Walmart last Sunday after her mother Anastasiya Motalava was in the megastore for more than 30 minutes, Hollywood police said.
First responders rushed to the scene after a witness heard the girl screaming from a cracked window of the car, which was not running, authorities said, according to NBC 6.
Temperatures hit 90 that day, according to Accuweather.
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The youngster was rescued without emergency workers breaking any of the windows.
Bodycam footage captured moments after the rescue. Hollywood Police
Bodycam footage obtained by local stations shows a rescuer holding the child in his arms as the car alarm blares and the doors on the passenger’s side are open under the beating sun.
While the child was stranded in the car, Motalava, 34, was seen on surveillance cameras shopping, Hollywood police said.
Police arrested her and initially charged her with child neglect, but the criminal case was dropped Thursday, according to local reports.
Broward County prosecutors said there wasn’t enough evidence to go forward with the case and noted the child wasn’t harmed.
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The mother reportedly believed she was in the store for 10-15 minutes, prosecutors said.
“While defendant’s conduct is irresponsible, it does not rise to the egregious level of conduct necessary to show culpable negligence,” Broward Assistant State Attorney Melissa Kelly wrote in the memo, according to NBC 6.
“This was a single isolated incident of what may be deemed poor parental judgment that resulted in defendant’s arrest on Felony Child Neglect charges.”
The parent is expected to receive child safety education.
Children left behind in hot cars have had deadly consequences so far this summer. There have been more than 10 hot car fatalities in the US this year.
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The tragic cases include a 2-year-old New York boy and an 8-week-old New Jersey girl, who both died in separate incidents Monday, according to officials.
An Arizona father was charged with murder after leaving his sleeping 2-year-old daughter in his car for three hours while he was allegedly “distracted” by his PlayStation — until his wife came home and found the tot dead in the sweltering car.
Gray Reid has spent most of his career in basketball and sports media. He began as a student manager for the Nevada men’s basketball team, then went on to coach overseas in China and later joined the LC State men’s basketball program as a graduate assistant. After coaching, Gray joined SBLive Sports as a videographer and video editor, eventually moving into his current role as Regional Marketing Director.
As tensions escalate overseas, locals in South Florida express a complex mix of concern, hope, and fear—especially for loved ones in Israel and Iran. Community leaders and families share their perspectives on uncertainty, security, and what the future holds.
This Week in South Florida Full Episode: March 1, 2026
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. — On the latest episode of “This Week in South Florida” host Janine Stanwood welcomes President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County Audra Berg, Secretary General of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, Division Director of Flood Control and Water Supply Planning for the South Florida Water Management District Carolina Maran, State Rep. Juan Carlos Porras and State Rep. Kevin Chambliss.
The full episode can be seen at the top of this page.
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Janine Stanwood
Janine Stanwood is a Emmy award-winning reporter and anchor. She joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor.