Pa. bill calls for harsher penatly for leaving kids in parked car

A Pennsylvania Senate bill that would carry a third-degree felony charge for adults who intentionally leave young children alone in parked cars remains in committee this summer.

Sen. Daylin Leach, the Judiciary Committee minority chair, says while some 3,600 bills are introduced each year with only 200 coming to a vote, he agrees with the bill’s more serious consequence.

“Leaving a kid in a car while you go about some other business — that is unacceptable, and I think that should be a felony,” said Leach, D-Montgomery/Delaware.

A South Jersey man was arrested this week at the Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pa., after leaving his 14-month-old-daughter unattended in the parking lot. Charged with endangering the welfare of a child, the man faces a penalty of up to five years in jail.

The more severe felony charge would come with jail time from two to 10 years plus a fine of up to $10,000.