Lakewood Father Arrested After Forgetting 2 Year Old Child in Hot Car

A Lakewood Township police officer saved a 2-year-old boy locked in a hot, non-running vehicle outside the police department’s headquarters on Tuesday at approximately 3:15 p.m. According to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, the officer noticed the child alone in the parked car during a day when temperatures reached 97°F with a heat index of 103°F. Using a lock-out tool, the officer quickly unlocked the vehicle and removed the toddler, who was then evaluated by Lakewood First Aid and transported to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus for treatment. The child was later released.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and Lakewood Police Department revealed that the child’s father, Simcha Feldman, 34, of Lakewood, left his son unattended in the locked vehicle for approximately 24 minutes. Feldman was arrested upon returning to the vehicle and charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He was held at the Ocean County Jail but was released by Wednesday afternoon, according to jail records. Feldman’s attorney, Yosef Jacobovitz, stated the incident was an accidental oversight due to a change in schedule, noting that Feldman had cooled the vehicle and opened windows beforehand.

Prosecutor Billhimer commended the swift response of the Lakewood Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and the Special Victims Unit.

The father could be facing years of jail time if convicted of child endangerment.

The incident follows a similar tragedy in Lakewood on July 16, 2024, where an 8-week-old girl died after being left in a hot car, highlighting ongoing concerns about the dangers of leaving children in vehicles during extreme heat.

Sources: The Lakewood Scoop, Asbury Park Press, Shore News Network