Fullerton police use purple ribbons to warn of heat's dangers

The campaign remembers 6-month-old baby who died when left in an overheated car.

FULLERTON – Fullerton police on Wednesday added a touch of purple to patrol units as part of a campaign to remember a Corona girl who died when left for two hours in a car, and remind others of the danger, officials said.

The purple ribbons on the cars come courtesy of the nonprofit organization 4 R Kids' Sake, in remembrance of 6-month-old Kaitlyn Russell who died in August 2000 when she was left alone in her babysitter's car for at least two hours while the sitter visited with friends in Lake Matthews, said Fullerton police Sgt. Linda King.

Authorities estimated the temperature had reached 130 degrees in the locked car by the time the child was found, King said.

The ribbons are to remind motorists not to leave children unattended in vehicles especially on hot days when temperatures can soar in closed cars, King said.

In memory of Kaitlyn, the legislature in 2001 passed "Kaitlyn's Law," making it illegal for any child younger than 6 to be left in an automobile without the supervision of an individual 12 years of age or older, King said.

Violations of the law, also known as the "Unattended Child in a Motor Vehicle Act," can result in a $100 fine, she said.

According to organization representatives, 58 children have died in unattended vehicle-related accidents in California this year, including 13 heat-related accidents similar to that which claimed Kaitlyn's life, King said.