Salinas couple ‘hot-box’ car with baby inside, says police

A Salinas couple was arrested for ‘hot-boxing’ their car with marijuana smoke while their 1-year-old daughter was in the backseat.

Officers conducted a vehicle check of a suspicious Honda parked at Natividad Creek Park on Tuesday, around 5:47 p.m. When the driver, 23-year-old Faustino Matias rolled down his window officers saw a very heavy cloud of marijuana smoke coming from inside the car. Also in the car was 22-year-old Claudia Campos and their 1-year-old daughter.

“The couple were suspected of ‘hot-boxing’ the car with the infant in the backseat,” said Salinas PD.

‘Hot-boxing’ is a slang term for smoking marijuana in a small enclosed area, causing it to fill with smoke in order to maximize the effect.

EMS initially had difficulty waking the baby and the infant was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

The 1-year-old was placed with CPS and both parents were arrested and transported to Monterey County Jail for felony child endangerment and other charges.