Lethbridge police have charged the mothers of a three-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy after they left them unattended inside a locked vehicle while they were inside a nearby bar.
At about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, police were called to a report of a child crying inside a locked vehicle parked in the 200 block of 5 Street S.
Police found the car that was shut off and saw a toddler in a car seat crying, shivering and in obvious distress.
They had to break a window to get inside and found a second child huddled under a pile of clothing.
Both children were taken to hospital and did not sustain any lasting injuries.
Police soon located a 31-year-old woman and a 24-year-old woman, determined to be the mothers of the children, inside a nearby bar.
An examination of surveillance video from the bar showed the pair had been there for about an hour.
The women, who cannot be named to protect the identities of the children, are each charged with one count of failing to provide the necessaries of life.
They are still in custody awaiting a bail hearing.
The children are in the care of family members.
According to Environment Canada, the overnight temperature in Lethbridge was -21 C.
