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'Barely conscious' toddler found trapped in car seat in smoke-filled home after mom drunkenly passed out with pizza cooking: Police

 
Inset: Kallien Mia Heathman appearing in court (KSAZ). The area in Arizona where Heathman allegedly set her house on fire (KSAZ).

Inset: Kallien Mia Heathman appearing in court (KSAZ). The area in Arizona where Heathman's home filled with smoke from a burned pizza (KSAZ).

A 25-year-old Arizona woman is accused of getting so intoxicated that she passed out while her home filled with smoke from a burned pizza, leaving a toddler strapped into a car seat "barely conscious" as officers rushed inside to pull the child to safety.

Kallien Mia Heathman was charged with one count of child abuse following the Aug. 1 fire at her Glendale home, according to Maricopa County court records.

Police responded at about 11 p.m. to a home near 67th Avenue and Cholla Street after a 911 caller reported that a young child was trapped inside while the child's mother was unconscious, Phoenix Fox affiliate KSAZ reported.

According to court documents cited by the station, officers arrived to find smoke filling the residence and learned a 2-year-old girl was still inside, strapped into a car seat. Police entered the home and found the toddler "barely conscious and nonresponsive," immediately carrying the child outside before attempting to rescue Heathman.

Officers found Heathman lying unconscious on the floor near a couch. As they tried to remove her from the home, she regained consciousness but allegedly became uncooperative, forcing officers to drag her outside to safety, according to the records.

Investigators determined the smoke originated from a pizza that had burned inside a microwave, local CBS affiliate KPHO reported.

Authorities also discovered empty liquor bottles and alcoholic beverage containers inside the residence. According to court documents, Heathman registered a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.379 — nearly five times the legal limit for driving in Arizona — and investigators concluded she was too intoxicated to safely care for her children.

Police said Heathman had been the only adult in the home with two children at the time of the fire. A 7-year-old child was also inside but was not injured. According to investigators, the older child contacted their father, who then called 911 after learning about the emergency. The father, who shares custody of the children, later arrived at the home and took custody of the older child, according to KSAZ.

Neither the toddler's condition nor Heathman's condition has been publicly updated, and authorities said it remains unclear how long they had been inhaling smoke before first responders arrived.

Court records cited by local media state that Heathman refused to provide a statement to investigators following her arrest.

During an initial court appearance, a judge ordered Heathman not to reside with any of the alleged victims while the case is pending, KSAZ reported.

Jail records show Heathman remains in the Maricopa County Jail. Court records indicate her bond was set at $10,000 cash only, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled later this month.

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Jerry Lambe is a journalist at Law&Crime. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and New York Law School and previously worked in financial securities compliance and Civil Rights employment law.

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