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Clearwater father arrested after allegedly leaving 4-year-old in car during court hearing

According to officials, the daughter was left in the car with the windows rolled up and the sunroof open while the father was inside of the Pinellas County Courthouse for a civil court hearing.

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- A father has been charged for leaving his 4-year-old daughter in a locked car during a court hearing at 9 a.m. Thursday.

According to officials, the daughter was left in the 2004 Mercedes with the windows rolled up and the sunroof open while the father was inside of the Pinellas County Courthouse for a civil court hearing.

Police responded after two hours of the child being left inside the car when the 4-year-old was seen by a passerby asking for help and alerted deputies inside the courtroom. The temperature was around 82 degrees at the time of the child's recovery from the car.

The father has been since been identified as 51-year-old Dean Baaj.

The child is expected to be alright and has been returned to her mother. Baaj has been booked into the Pinellas County Jail.

The father now faces charges of child neglect.

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