Mother accused of locking young daughters in car for hours

This browser does not support the video element.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A mother was charged after she was accused of leaving her two young children locked in a car for nearly three hours Sunday night in north Charlotte.

The 4- and 5-year-old girls had to be hospitalized.

Millicia Middleton, 25, went before a judge Tuesday after being charged with child abuse.

The girls were dehydrated by the time officers got them out of the car in the parking lot of new apartments on Samuel Street.

"I live here so I wish I had seen it,” resident Vicki Butler said. “I mean, at least I could have got them, that hurts me. I'm sorry."

"That makes me so sad,” resident Shanna Henriques said. “How can you be a parent and just leave your kids in the car? What did they do? Forget about them or something?"

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com: