Thursday, cellphones across the region lit up with Amber Alerts concerning the 6-year-old boy who was kidnapped after being left in a running vehicle.

Tragically, the incident ended with the death of that boy after three teenage suspects stole the vehicle, fled the scene and allegedly shot him at some point during the incident.

The vehicle and the boy’s body were later found by law enforcement officials, who subsequently opened a homicide case and arrested the three suspects.

Apparently, the mother of the child left him in the vehicle, with the engine running, while she purchased items from a grocery store.

Details are non-existent as to why the boy was shot, or which of the three suspects pulled the trigger.

But as we await an outcome to this horrific set of events, it should prove as a warning to all parents; don’t leave your child in a car.

We hear it each summer; leaving a child in a car is dangerous. The same is true for pets.

But apparently the temptation to “just run in for a minute” is strong.

If we think about how long it actually takes to “run in for a minute” it’s actually much longer than 60 seconds.

We forget that there are many factors into how long it takes to enter a store, find your items and successfully check out.

Some customers take longer to peruse an aisle; others have trouble finding exact change for their purchase and still others just aren’t in a hurry to get their items and head back home, holding up those who do have a time limit.

So, as the temperature warms, and even when it’s cool out, take the extra time to turn off the engine and bring your children in the store with you.

And, if you have pets, leave them at home in the air conditioning.