TUPELO, Miss. – Tupelo Police rescued a young child from a locked vehicle at the Walmart on West Main Street Tuesday afternoon, leading to the arrest of the child’s mother.
According to authorities, officers responded around 12:50 p.m. on Nov. 25 to a report of a child locked inside a parked vehicle. When they arrived, they found a 5-year-old unresponsive but breathing in the back seat with the doors locked. Officers broke a rear window to reach the child and moved them into a patrol vehicle with air conditioning until medics arrived. Medical personnel evaluated the child on scene and determined transport to a hospital was not required.
Store employees told officers the child’s mother was still inside the store. During the investigation, police located 23-year-old Ronci Lang of Tupelo and discovered she had an active Tupelo Municipal Court warrant. She was taken into custody without incident.
Child Protective Services responded and took custody of the child.
After further investigation, Lang was charged with misdemeanor contributing to the neglect of a child.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
