The Phoenix Police Department arrested 38-year-old Ascencio Largo, a father of four from Arizona, as he allegedly left all his children in the car with its window rolled up as the temperature inside the vehicle got as warm as 124 degrees.
As per the local CBS affiliate KPHO, the children were all aged under 10 years of age and they were clearly suffering in the heat. Police arrived at the scene which was at the parking lot of The Adult Shoppe in the area of 24th and Madison streets, after they got a call regarding the situation.
Talking about the call, Phoenix Police Sgt. Rob Scherer told Fox 10, “The call that all officers hate to get; multiple children left in a car unattended, cars not on, doors locked, They got all the kids out immediately, gave them water. There were signs of distress, you know, color discoloration, you know, skin bright red, sweating. Clearly, the heat was affecting the children.”
Upon their arrival the cops brought the children out of the car and helped them with water and let them sit inside an AC car so they would feel better. One officer then asked them, “Where’s mom or dad?” Another one added, “Do you know where your guys’ family is?”
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After a while, the cops successfully located Largo, the kids’ father, who had been inside the adult store for almost an hour. He was then arrested and is now facing child abuse charges. The judge dealing with his case said, “You could have exited that store to a car full of your dead children which is rather shocking.”
The judge also mentioned that Largo initially did not respond to the cops and even denied that the car belonged to him. Highlighting how it was quite irresponsible on his part, the judge added, “It indicates a strong level of reckless culpability.”
This “father” decided to go to an adult store and leave his 2, 3, 4, and 7 were Locked in a car, windows up, triple digit temps, car off.
Thankfully, the kids were rescued before they died and were hospitalized for treatment.
Ascencio Largo was arrested. #Arizona pic.twitter.com/Q15nLDjepW
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) July 26, 2025
The judge further mentioned, “You are presumed innocent, but what the police are alleging could have resulted in, you know, the kind of story that gets picked up on international news wires: Man goes into p-rno store leaving his four children to die in their car.”
Largo is currently in Maricopa County Jail on a $5,000 bond, and her next date of appearing in court on Thursday. The incident highlighted how irresponsible parents might pose a life risk for their children. As Largo is currently awaiting his next court appearance, it now remains to be seen what punishment he will get.
