VISTA, Calif. -- A man who left his year-old son in a locked car with the windows rolled up in 96-degree heat while he went grocery shopping in Escondido pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony child endangerment.

Artemio Diaz, 33, faces up to nine months in jail when he is sentenced Nov. 13 by Vista Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein.

Diaz pleaded guilty on the scheduled day of his preliminary hearing, a proceeding in which a judge determines if there is enough evidence to order a trial.

The defendant admitted endangering his son by leaving the child in the hot car for 25 to 35 minutes around 6 p.m. on Aug. 30 in the parking lot of Northgate supermarket on Escondido Boulevard.

A passerby called for help after seeing the child crying inside the car. Officers who responded broke a window and rescued the infant, who was taken to a hospital and given fluids.

Police found Diaz in the supermarket and arrested him.