“WE JUST WENT FISHING FOR A LITTLE WHILE”!!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, POLICE SAY AN OFF-DUTY NEBRASKA POLICE CAPTAIN AND HER PARTNER LEFT THEIR TWO-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER LOCKED INSIDE A HOT MINIVAN AT A LAKE… AND BOTH WOMEN HAVE NOW BEEN CITED FOR CHILD ABUSE.
On the afternoon of Sunday, August 23, two women went to Pawnee Lake in Lincoln, Nebraska.
They went there to fish.
Police identified one of the women as Mayde McGuire, 54.
Police identified the other as her partner, Mary Tobiassen, 49.
McGuire is a police captain with the Lincoln Police Department.
Authorities confirmed that she was off duty at the time of the incident.
Their two-year-old daughter was with them at the lake.
But the toddler did not go fishing with them.
Instead, authorities said the child was left behind in the parking lot.
Police said McGuire and Tobiassen left the girl in their vehicle while they went fishing.
That vehicle was a black minivan.
The minivan was locked.
The vehicle was hot.
The outdoor temperature was 78 degrees Fahrenheit at the time.
Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner later noted that the “interior of a vehicle can get extremely hot” in a short amount of time.
The child remained inside the minivan by herself.
According to Sheriff Wagner, she was in the vehicle for at least 28 minutes before anyone spotted her.
Another couple was fishing at Pawnee Lake that same afternoon.
As that couple walked through the parking lot, they passed by the black minivan.
They spotted the two-year-old girl inside.
According to authorities, the couple noticed that the child was “crying and screaming” in the vehicle.
They realized that the toddler was alone.
They realized that the van was locked.
They called 911 for help.
Following the incident, the couple who found the toddler spoke to television station KOLN about the experience.
One of those witnesses was Izabella Glover.
Glover claimed that the two-year-old girl had gotten out of her car seat.
She claimed that the toddler then “crawled over” to the front seat of the minivan.
Then the girl started “banging” on the window.
Glover added that the child appeared to be “in distress” as she seemingly searched for her parents.
McGuire returned to the parking lot before deputies arrived at the scene.
She took the girl out of the vehicle.
Deputies from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department then arrived.
Police confirmed that the toddler was uninjured.
The child has since been given back to her parents.
At the scene, McGuire took a preliminary breath test.
It was determined that McGuire had a blood alcohol content of 0.108.
An investigation was launched into the matter.
McGuire was placed on leave.
On Monday, August 24, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department addressed the situation during a press conference.
Sheriff’s officials confirmed that McGuire is a captain with the Lincoln Police Department.
They confirmed that she was off duty when the incident occurred.
Both McGuire and Tobiassen were cited for misdemeanor child abuse.
Yet neither of them was arrested.
It is not currently clear whether McGuire or Tobiassen have entered pleas following the incident.
It is also not clear whether either woman has retained legal counsel.
When contacted by Us about the case, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department had no additional updates to share.
The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.
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