Two arrested in Muncie after kids found unconscious inside car with high carbon monoxide levels

MUNCIE — Two people from Oklahoma were arrested on neglect and theft charges after their kids were found unconscious and unresponsive inside a car with high levels of carbon monoxide, according to court documents.

Muncie Police Department officers found a 2-year-old and 8-year-old child inside the car around 12:15 p.m. Friday at Walmart north, in the 4800 block of West Clara Lane.

With assistance from the Muncie Fire Department, officers determined the carbon monoxide level inside the car was nearly 500 parts per million, according to probable cause affidavits. The fire department told an officer a reading of 7 parts per million is dangerous and would trigger carbon monoxide alarms.

The kids were taken to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital where medical staff told police both children had high carbon monoxide levels in their blood, according to the affidavits.

During their investigation, detectives found a 26-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were inside the store for nearly an hour and stole clothing, according to the affidavits.

The woman told a detective she was only trying to get clothing for her children because they didn't have any, according to the affidavits. The woman also told police she was aware her car has issues with the exhaust and her catalytic converter was stolen.

The woman said they left the kids in the car while they went inside the store because the 2-year-old was sleeping, according to the affidavits.

Both the man and woman were preliminarily charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent and one count of theft, according to court documents.

Formal charges haven't been filed, according to online court records. WRTV doesn't name suspects until formal charges have been filed.