A fundraising web page has been set up for a woman who was arrested after leaving her two kids in a car during a job interview.
Shanesha Taylor from Phoenix in the US, went to the job interview last month at an insurance company.
The 35-year-old, who is unemployed and on food stamps, said she wasn't able to find a babysitter, so left her 2-year-old son and 6-month old baby in her car with the key still in the ignition.
A witness reportedly found the child crying hysterically and sweating profusely as temperatures inside the SUV vehicle exceeded 100 degrees.
The woman was arrested after returning to the vehicle, and her case later caught the attention of 24-year-old Amanda Bishop of New Jersey.
Amanda said she was inspired to set up a fundraising web page for the woman because she could relate to growing up in a family that doesn't have a lot of money.
"I had a mother and family in general who struggled raising us and had to rely on other resources to provide for us and sometimes made not the greatest choices," said Amanda.
Amanda established the fundraising site on YouCaring.com with the goal of raising $9,000 and said she was shocked when the site reached the goal in four days and then exceeded it by tens of thousands of dollars.
The site has reportedly also received more than a thousand comments, some of which accusing Amanda and other supporters of endorsing child abuse.
"She could have been at a bar or at a club and leaving her children in the car," said the fundraiser. "Here's a woman who is an example of someone who is trying, who is trying to better her situation and doing what she can to provide for her children."
Shanesha Taylor pleaded not guilty to the charges against her on Monday.
Prosecutors point out that her actions put the safety of her children in danger.
According to court documents, fire fighters found the car’s windows rolled down an inch and no running air conditioning to keep the children cool.
The baby was described as wearing a short-sleeve shirt over a long-sleeve shirt, as well as a blanket.
The woman arrived back at the vehicle more than an hour after her interview time, the documents said.
"Everything is focused on the mother and understandably so. It seems to be a very compelling human interest story," County Attorney Bill Montgomery said at a recent news conference. "But I'm equally concerned and compelled about the circumstances those two children were in."
The attorney said it's too soon to determine if the woman will receive a prison term or face losing custody of her children. Her offenses could amount to a sentence ranging from probation to seven years in prison, prosecutors said.
