A mother was arrested on suspicion of child cruelty after her 2-year-old daughter was found alone overnight on the sidewalk near a busy intersection. The mother has not cooperated with police in giving an explanation as to why the baby was left unattended. Jacob Rascon reports for the NBC4 News at Noon on Monday, Jan. 6, 2013.
A mother is facing charges of child cruelty after allegedly abandoning her 2-year-old baby girl on a Los Angeles sidewalk early Monday, officials said.
A man working at a bakery called 911 around 2:30 a.m. after spotting a baby unattended in a stroller near Washington and Western, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
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When authorities responded, the mother appeared and was detained. She was expected to face charges of child abandonment, authorities said.
However, authorities said her charges were stepped up to child cruelty because the baby was left near a busy intersection overnight in cold conditions.
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The baby appeared to be uninjured and was turned over to the Department of Child and Family Services around 7 a.m.
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It’s unclear how long the baby was left alone or what the mother was doing at the time, officials said.
“She didn’t give officers any kind of explanation why,” said officer Patricia Pena. “She wasn’t giving any information.”
Police said the mother did not appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of her arrest.
