Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Carer left autistic man in car on hot day: police
A care support worker has been charged with endangering an autistic man after allegedly leaving him in a car for almost an hour on a hot day.
February 15, 2024
A care support worker has been charged after allegedly leaving a non-verbal man with severe autism in a car on a 40C day.
A member of the public spotted the distressed 26-year-old in the vehicle at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre in Perth on January 13 and alerted authorities.
Emergency services rescued him about 2.30pm and he was taken to hospital suffering from heat exposure, police said on Thursday.
He had been in the car in a seatbelt with the windows only partially down for almost an hour as the temperature climbed to 40.7C.
His 37-year-old carer eventually returned to the vehicle, where police were waiting.
He had allegedly been in the shopping centre using the younger man’s wallet to buy food without permission.
The carer was later charged with endangering life, health or safety of a person, and stealing as a servant.
He is scheduled to appear in the Joondalup Magistrates Court on March 8.