Despite thousands of call to actions encouraging parents everywhere to never leave children alone in hot vehicles, there are still these stories that break our heart.

One hot afternoon in Hackensack, New Jersey, shoppers gathered around a Toyota Sienna van in a Costco parking lot, frantically attempting to retrieve a little girl that was left inside. Minutes before, her mother had locked the doors of the van and left her little girl inside while she went shopping for groceries at Costco.

Rafael Rodriguez heard a crying child near his vehicle and when he peered inside the tinted van, he noticed a toddler in distress. Police arrived to the scene just in time to break the window open and retrieve the little girl. The entire scenario is frightening. Soaked in her own sweat, the 3-year-old little girl clung to the officer who rubbed her hot back in comfort.

The city is known to reach highs of 90 degrees and this day just so happened to be one in a mid-summer heat wave.

The mother eventually arrives, pushing another one of her children in cart full of groceries. According to reports, the little girl was subjected to a temperature of at least 80 degrees while inside the van.

If you ever notice a child in a vehicle alone, do not hesitate to call authorities. Not all of these stories end in rescues.

Please SHARE.