A care worker accused of leaving an autistic young man inside a car during a heatwave and taking his money to buy food has been charged.
It will be alleged the disabled worker, 37, left his non-verbal client, 26, in the back seat of a car about 1.40pm on January 13 at the Lakeside Joondalup shopping center in Perth.
When the outside temperature exceeded 40°C, the disabled man was left inside the vehicle with his seat belt on.
The car’s rear windows were closed, although the front windows were slightly open, Western Australian police alleged.
Nearly an hour later, a concerned member of the public alerted security to the distressed man inside the car, who then contacted emergency services.
The 37-year-old carer went shopping at Lakeside Joondalup Shopping Centre, Perth (pictured) during a heatwave and left his client in the car with the rear windows up. The autistic man does not speak and was left with his seat belt on. He was heat-stricken when police rescued him.
The disability worker returned to the car after his client was rescued. It is alleged that he was inside the shopping center after taking money from his customer to buy food.
Security officers called emergency services and police officers arrived and found the 26-year-old “visibly distressed and heat-stricken.”
The police were forced to enter the car and rescue the disabled man.
He was taken to Joondalup Health Campus and discharged that same night.
The disabled worker eventually returned to the car and spoke to police.
It is also alleged that the carer, 37, used money from his client’s wallet to buy food, but did not have permission to do so.
A 37-year-old man was charged with endangering the life, health or safety of a person and stealing as a servant.
He will appear at Joondalup Magistrates Court on March 8.