A frightening late-night incident in Ohio has raised serious concerns about child safety during extreme winter weather. Two young girls were found wandering outside a hotel in freezing conditions, leading to their mother’s arrest and a police investigation.
Ohio Mother Accused After Children Found Outside in Freezing Cold
A 36-year-old mother from Ohio is facing criminal charges after her two young daughters were found alone outside a hotel in single-digit temperatures. Authorities say the children were poorly dressed and exposed to dangerous winter conditions that could have turned deadly.
The mother, Laura Beitler, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Mentor Police Department.
911 Call Sparks Emergency Response
Police said they received a 911 call around 12:25 a.m. on Thursday, January 29, from a concerned resident at an Extended Stay America hotel located in the 5600 block of Emerald Court.
The caller told dispatchers they had found a small child wandering alone in the hotel parking lot and immediately brought her inside for safety.
When officers arrived, they confirmed the child was just 3 years old. Due to the extreme cold, police placed the toddler inside a warmed patrol vehicle right away.
Children Poorly Dressed in Dangerous Weather
Police noted that weather conditions were extremely harsh at the time:
- Temperature was 8 degrees Fahrenheit
- Winds were blowing at around 10 mph
- The 3-year-old was wearing only a sweater
Officers then learned that the child had been staying at the hotel with her family.
Second Child Also Missing
Police went to the family’s hotel room and spoke with the mother, Laura Beitler. Officers said she had been asleep and did not know her daughter had left the room.
During the conversation, Beitler suddenly realised that her 8-year-old daughter was also missing.
At that point, police requested extra help, including the Lake County drone team, and several hotel guests joined in to search for the missing child.
8-Year-Old Found Nearly a Quarter-Mile Away
Not long after, authorities were notified that an 8-year-old girl had been found outside a nearby Hampton Inn. The hotel is located just under a quarter-mile away from where the girls were staying.
Police said the older child was wearing only a T-shirt and sneakers when she was found outside in the freezing cold.
Children Taken to Hospital
Due to concerns about cold exposure, medics transported both girls to Tripoint Medical Center. Doctors examined them and later cleared them for release, confirming they were physically okay.
The children’s father arrived at the hotel soon after and took custody of them. Police said he had been away due to a family emergency.
Mother Arrested, Community Praised
Police arrested Beitler at the scene. Officers also thanked hotel residents for acting quickly and helping search for the missing child.
They said the situation could have easily ended in tragedy if not for the fast response of residents and first responders.
Mentor Police Captain Mike Majernik told WKYC that the cold weather made the situation extremely dangerous and that the outcome could have been much worse.
Mother Speaks Out
Beitler later spoke to WKYC, saying she had been living at the hotel with her five children after losing her home. She became emotional while explaining that one of her daughters is autistic and struggles with wearing clothes.
She said the child sometimes leaves rooms without dressing properly because clothing feels uncomfortable to her.
