Man Charged After Toddler Left In Car At Falls Twp. Gym

FALLS TOWNSHIP, PA — A Philadelphia man faces charges after leaving his 3-year-old child inside a parked car while working out at a gym on a hot day, according to court records.

Mikal Malik Walker, 31, of Philadelphia, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and leaving a child unattended in a vehicle.

He was preliminarily arraigned Monday and sent to the Bucks County Correctional Facility on 10 percent of $250,000 bail.

Falls Township Police responded to the parking lot outside the Planet Fitness on Plaza Boulevard on the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 1, after a 911 call reporting a young child left unattended in a silver Buick.

According to a criminal complaint, the caller arrived at the facility and spotted the child alone in the vehicle. The car was off, no adults were nearby, and its windows and sunroof were open, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Temperatures on that day were between 80 and 90 degrees.

Walker confirmed to an investigating officer that he had left the 3-year-old in the car during his workout, the complaint states.

He reportedly told police he parked near the gym’s entrance, left the windows down, and checked on the child every 10 minutes throughout his roughly one-hour visit.

Walker allegedly told authorities he was not concerned for the child’s safety because the windows were open and he had provided toys, the complaint states. He added that the doors were locked to prevent the child from wandering off or being kidnapped.