Detectives on Friday arrested a mother whom they believe abandoned and endangered her two toddler sons when she left them alone in a Long Beach street one day earlier.
Shenae Irene Dixon, 23, was found "in good health" Friday near Alameda Street and Firestone Boulevard in Los Angeles after receiving a tip from a witness who recognized her from news reports, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Her two children, a 1-year-old boy named Kenneth and a 2-year-old boy named Sir Kingston, were found alone at Atlantic Avenue and 60th Street about 8:45 a.m. Thursday, more than a dozen miles from where Dixon was located Friday, police said.
"The preliminary investigation leads detectives to believe Shenae Dixon had endangered and abandoned her children," Long Beach police said in a statement. "In the interest of not wanting to jeopardize the integrity of the case, no further details on this crime can be shared at this time."
Dixon faces charges of child abandonment and endangerment, police said. She was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and is expected in court next week.
Passer-by Amber Revels said she found the toddlers Thursday morning and called police.
"It was a car smashing off slamming the door ... What else could I think? That somebody dropped those kids off and drove off," Revels said. "That's the first thing I'm thinking. There's nobody in clear sight. It's just two little babies and a cup and a car smashed off with no license plate."
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While Revels said she believes a black Toyota with paper license plates left the children on Atlantic Avenue, police said they are still trying to figure out how the boys got there.
A relative told police Friday morning Dixon made via social media, and while police thought the relative was referring to Dixon's Facebook page, they could not find the post in question.
"We want to be sure that if there was a post on social media that, one, it was her, and two, if it was, have her come forward for us," Long Beach Sgt. Robert Woods said at a news conference just before Dixon was located.
The boys were turned over to the Department of Children and Family Services, police said.
Anyone with information about the children was urged to contact Long Beach police at 562-435-6711.
Toni Guinyard contributed to this report.
