Cranston Police Make Arrest After Investigating An Unattended Child in a Motor Vehicle

Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of the Cranston Police Department, announces the arrest of Bunroth Chhun, 41, of 185 Budlong Rd, Cranston, RI, after an investigation into the report of an unattended child in a motor vehicle.
On August 11, 2016 at approximately 2:23 pm, Officers from the Cranston Police Department responded to the parking lot of a medical building located at 1090 New London Ave for a report of a child, approximately 3yrs old, left unattended in a motor vehicle. The caller reported that the child was secured in the back seat of a red Toyota van and that the van was not running. The caller also stated that the van’s windows were closed, and the juvenile male was alone and crying. Upon the arrival of the officers, members of the Cranston Fire Department were already on scene and were removing the child from the vehicle. They advised that they were able to unlock the vehicle’s door without force and extract the child from the vehicle. The officers observed that the child was crying and sweating profusely. They were able to make contact with the child’s father, identified as Bunroth Chhun, age 41, of 185 Budlong Rd, Cranston, as he had exited the medical building.

The officers interviewed the witnesses and Cranston Fire Department personnel who were on scene and were able to determine that the child was left unattended in the vehicle for approximately 30-40 minutes. According to witnesses, the windows of the van were only partially open, the doors were locked, the vehicle’s engine was off and there was no air conditioning running. The approximate exterior air temperature was determined to be approx. 93 degrees. The child was believed to be unharmed; however, he was later transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital to be evaluated for precautionary reasons. The officers were able to make contact with the child’s mother who arrived on scene and she ultimately took custody of the child. The child’s father, Bunroth Chhun, was taken into police custody and charged with one count of Cruelty/Neglect of a Child in violation of RIGL 11-9-5. DCYF was contacted and advised of the incident and Cranston Police Special Victims Unit detectives were on scene and are conducting a follow-up investigation.