Selden, NY - August 27, 2014 - Suffolk County Police today arrested a Mount Sinai man after he left his child in a locked vehicle for approximately 15 minutes in Selden this afternoon.
Sixth Precinct Sergeant William Robinson and Police Officer Robert Strandvold responded to Selden Plaza after a 911 caller reported a child locked in a Mercedes Benz in Selden Plaza, located on Route 25, at 1:55 p.m. A member of the Selden Fire Department was also flagged down by the caller.
A 4-year-old girl was sleeping in the backseat of the vehicle for approximately 15 minutes. The car was not running and the windows were open approximately ½ inch. Other members of the Selden Fire Department responded and were able to unlock one of the doors. The child was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for examination.
Sergeant Robinson and Officer Strandvold entered TJ Maxx, located in Selden Plaza, and located the child’s father, Juan Pablo Aguilar Varela, 32, of Mount Sinai. Aguilar Varela was arrested and charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child and is scheduled for arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip on August 28. Suffolk County Child Protective Services was notified.
A criminal charge is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.