Gwinnett mom accused of leaving toddler in hot car

Hanna Brunner (Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office)

Hanna Brunner (Credit: Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office)

A young Gwinnett County mother was arrested earlier this month after leaving her child in a hot car outside a grocery store, police said.

Authorities estimated it to be 89 degrees outside at the time of the incident.

According to warrants and an incident report, a shopper at the Jalisco Supermarket on Steve Reynolds Boulevard first noticed the child — who was born in 2014 — in the back of a Chevrolet Silverado on Oct. 8. After about 15 minutes passed and her attempts to find the boy's parents were unsuccessful, the shopper called 911.

Police eventually made contact with 19-year-old Hanna R. Brunner, who told them she'd only been inside for "three minutes," the incident report said.

Authorities, however, estimated it had been at least 17 minutes. The car was unlocked and the air conditioner was not on.

Brunner was arrested and charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct. She was later released on $2,400 bond, Gwinnett County jail records show.

The child was released to Brunner's boyfriend, the police report said.

In a separate case last month,  another Gwinnett mother was accused of leaving her 3-year-old inside a car during a job interview .