Man accused of locking disabled child in hot car

A Columbus man is accused of purposefully locking a disabled child in a hot car to punish the child’s mother.

Brandon Windham, 31, was arrested Thursday by officers with the Columbus Police Department after witnesses saw Windham roll up the windows of the car, lock the doors and walk away, according to CPD Assistant Chief Fred Shelton. 

Windham and the child’s mother, who were in a relationship, “were involved in an altercation earlier in the day,” Shelton said.

Shelton said it appears Windham locked the child in the car to “punish” the mother.

Columbus police Capt. Brent Swan said Windham is not the child's father. 

The child, a girl between the ages of 6 and 10, is disabled and was unable to free herself, Swan said. 

Witnesses on scene called 911, and officers responded to the scene, using a tool to unlock the doors. 

By the time she was freed by police, the child had been in the car approximately 10 to 20 minutes, Swan said.

She was transported from the scene via ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle where she was checked for injuries and released, he said. She was not injured in the incident. 

Windham was arrested and charged with felony child abuse. He appeared in Lowndes County Justice Court Monday for an initial appearance. He was denied bond due to a hold from the Mississippi Department of Corrections, according to jail records.

District Attorney Scott Colom said his office would be "actively involved" in the investigation. 

"My office takes these charges very seriously and will be actively involved in the investigation and potential prosecution of Mr. Windham," Colom said. 

Shelton said if the child had not been freed as soon as she was, the situation could have been dire.

“The heat index was 90 degrees that day,” he said. “If she had sat in that car for an hour, it probably could have been something bad.”

Contact Sarah Fowler at sfowler@gannett.com or 601-961-7303. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.