Overview
- Police in Salina, Kansas, responded to a Wingstop parking lot after witnesses reported multiple children left alone in a vehicle on Wednesday, and officers found two 7-month-old infants, a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old and a 13-year-old.
- Salina EMS evaluated all six children at the scene and police placed them into protective custody; local reports do not confirm any heat-related injuries.
- Michael Krueger, 53, and Tiffany Krueger, 40, were each booked on six counts of aggravated child endangerment and remained in Saline County Jail as the investigation and any potential court proceedings continue.
- Salina Fire Department officials warned that children heat up three to five times faster than adults and that vehicle interiors can climb to dangerous temperatures within minutes, and they reiterated that cracking a window does not reliably prevent heat buildup.
- The case has drawn local attention to a national safety risk that killed dozens of children in recent years, with federal data showing 31 children died in hot vehicles in 2025 and officials urging caregivers to never leave children unattended in parked cars.