A 39-year-old Toronto man has been charged with child abandonment after police say a two-year-old girl was rescued from a vehicle left in a Markham, Ont., parking lot in extreme cold.
York Regional Police say they got a call about 7 p.m. Tuesday from a concerned citizen who noticed a young child left in a locked vehicle without heat in the parking lot in the area of Markham Road and Highglen Avenue.
Emergency services arrived on the scene and rescued the toddler from the vehicle.
Police say the child was not physically injured as a result of the incident but officers arrested and charged the man.
The man, whose name is not being released, is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 26 in Newmarket.
Constable Laura Nicolle says police are not confirming the relationship between the man and the child and would not be releasing further details about the incident since it will be before the courts.
Police say people should know they should never leave children or pets unattended inside vehicles during extreme weather conditions.
Those who do so could face criminal charges or provincial charges under the Child and Family Services Act that require children under 10 have adequate care and supervision, police say.
Anyone who sees a child or animal locked inside a vehicle during extreme weather conditions is urged to call 911.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story said incorrectly that the child was a three-year-old boy.