Glendale couple accused of walking toddlers outside for hours in 108-degree heat while intoxicated

Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 unrated

Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.

Where they agree

Ryan and May Mullin were arrested by Glendale Police and charged with felony child abuse.
They allegedly walked their two young children outdoors for about three hours as temperatures reached 108 degrees.
Police say the couple was intoxicated at the time.
May Mullin reportedly told officers the family was headed to an Arizona Cardinals event.

Where they differ

12 News focuses narrowly on the court documents and the Cardinals-event detail, offering little additional context.
FOX 10 Phoenix folded the arrest into a broader nightly news roundup alongside unrelated stories like a Litchfield Park remains case and a Toyota recall, giving it less standalone depth.
FOX 10 separately published bodycam video coverage of the arrest, a visual angle 12 News did not include.
Neither outlet reports on the children’s condition, ages, or current custody arrangement, leaving that detail absent from all coverage.

Glendale police arrested Ryan and May Mullin on felony child abuse charges after accusing the couple of walking their two young children outdoors for about three hours in 108-degree heat while intoxicated. May Mullin reportedly told officers the family was on its way to an Arizona Cardinals event. Bodycam footage of the arrest has been released by police.

What exactly are the Mullins accused of?

According to court documents cited by 12 News, Glendale police say Ryan and May Mullin were “highly intoxicated” while walking with their two young children outside for roughly three hours as temperatures reached 108 degrees. May Mullin told officers the family was heading to an Arizona Cardinals event. Both parents were booked into jail on felony child abuse charges. FOX 10 Phoenix confirmed the same core allegations — a couple walking young kids in extreme heat while drunk — and reported that police released bodycam video of the arrest, though the video segment itself mainly shows officers taking the couple into custody rather than adding new details about the children’s condition.

Were the children hurt?

None of the available reporting specifies whether the children suffered any heat-related injuries or required medical treatment. The coverage focuses on the parents’ alleged intoxication and the extended time spent outdoors in extreme heat rather than on the kids’ physical condition or where they were placed afterward. That gap remains unanswered in current reporting.

How hot was it, and why does that matter?

Temperatures hit 108 degrees at the time of the alleged incident, a level that poses serious heat-stroke and dehydration risk, especially for small children, who overheat faster than adults. Phoenix-area summers regularly produce dangerous, sometimes fatal, heat exposure incidents, and law enforcement and child welfare officials treat prolonged outdoor exposure with young kids as a safety emergency independent of any other factors. The alleged three-hour duration, combined with the parents’ reported intoxication, is what elevated this from a heat-safety concern to felony child abuse charges.

How is this story being covered?

The reporting is limited and largely consistent across outlets. 12 News’ account is a brief, direct writeup centered on the court documents, quoting the detail that May Mullin said the family was walking to a Cardinals event. FOX 10 Phoenix covered the arrest as one item in a nightly roundup of local news, placing it alongside unrelated stories — a Litchfield Park backyard remains case, a lieutenant governor pick, a Toyota recall, and a police chase — and gave it further attention in a separate video piece built around police bodycam footage. Neither outlet has published extensive detail beyond the basic allegations: who was arrested, what they’re charged with, and the temperature and duration involved.

What’s not yet known

Court records referenced by 12 News establish the basic allegations, but public reporting so far doesn’t include the children’s ages, their current custody status, whether Child Protective Services was contacted, or the couple’s statements beyond May Mullin’s comment about the Cardinals event. It’s also unclear whether the couple has entered a plea or when their case will next appear in court. As with many fast-breaking local arrest stories, these details may emerge as the case proceeds.

Sources

Featured photo: Tony the Marine (talk) via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)