Florida mom, 24, is arrested after her stolen car burst into flames while she was ‘SHOPPING’ – leaving her two children with first-degree burns
- Alicia Moore, 24, from Florida was arrested after leaving her two young children unattended in her car in a mall parking lot, which then caught fire
- Moore reportedly entered the mall with an unknown man to shoplift from stores in the Oviedo Mall near Orlando
- A two and a four year old were let in and were playing with matches which caused the fire – both were injured and one suffered first degree burns
A Florida woman was arrested and still faces charges after she left her two young children unattended in her car in a mall parking lot while going in for an alleged shoplifting – only to have her vehicle catch fire.
Alicia Moore, 24, left the children, unable to fend for themselves, in the vehicle as she entered the store with an unidentified man.
The pair allegedly ransacked stores at Oviedo Mall, in Oviedo northeast of Orlando, stealing items along the way.
But the pair were caught when Moore’s car, which police later discovered was a stolen vehicle, was parked and suddenly caught fire, soon engulfed in flames outside Dillard’s department store.
A child aged two and four was left inside here playing with matches which started the fire
The ferocity of the fire could be seen as flames shot out through the windows of the vehicle
Alicia Moore, 24, from Florida was arrested after leaving her two young children unattended in her car in a mall parking lot, which then caught fire
Officials say Moore left a lighter or a set of matches in the car that the children were playing with, sparking the fire.
Moore did not appear outside the mall for nearly an hour after leaving the children, ages two and four, in the vehicle.
City officials in Oviedo have shared video footage of the blaze recorded by a Tesla car parked nearby.
The clip shows the fire starting inside the car before quickly spreading, shattering the windows and sending ferocious flames leaping from the windows.
The two young children inside managed to escape thanks to the help of nearby shoppers who rushed to their aid.
The windows of the car were shattered as the flames struck
The youths in the car were able to escape after shoppers came to their aid
The car’s burnt-out body could still be seen in the mall’s parking lot
Authorities were on site on Friday to investigate how the fire could have started
Both children were injured in the fire and taken to hospital, with one child suffering first-degree burns to the face and ears.
Moore allegedly dropped the stolen items as she fled the mall.
She was later arrested and charged with child neglect and arson.