Newly released body camera footage shows the dramatic rescue of two young children locked inside a dangerously overheated car outside Cumberland Mall in Cobb County, Georgia.
The incident occurred on June 4 around 1:00 p.m., when outside temperatures soared and the interior of the vehicle reached a staggering 117 degrees Fahrenheit, according to WAGA-TV Atlanta.
“I’m standing outside Dick’s [Sporting Goods] at Cumberland Mall and there are two children in a car by themselves—small kids, crying,” a concerned caller told police dispatchers. “The windows are cracked, but I don’t think that’s right. We just came out of Dick’s and I heard kids crying.”
Bodycam video from the responding Cobb County officer shows him breaking the driver-side window and quickly pulling a small boy and girl from the back seat.
“It’s OK,” the officer reassures the boy. “Oh, you’re hot.”
Authorities said the children had been left in the vehicle for approximately 40 minutes with no air conditioning.
Roughly 30 minutes after the rescue, police arrested 25-year-old J’quawn Dixon, who was charged with two counts of second-degree cruelty to children. It remains unclear whether Dixon is the father of both children, according to reports from Fox News.
Surveillance footage showed Dixon entering the mall at 12:24 p.m. Officers responded to the scene at 1:03 p.m., indicating the children were left unattended in extreme heat for over 40 minutes.
According to an arrest warrant, Dixon “with criminal negligence caused a child under the age of 18 cruel or excessive physical or mental pain” by leaving them in the vehicle without climate control.
The Cobb County Police Department shared footage of the rescue on Facebook, along with a public statement thanking bystanders who acted quickly.
“A big THANK YOU to the concerned citizens who called 911. Your quick action is the reason these kids are safe today,” the statement read. “You saw something and did something, and that made all the difference.”
The video also captured Dixon being placed in the back of a police cruiser. He was booked into Cobb County Jail and later released on a $10,000 bond the following day, WAGA-TV reported.