[KHTS] – A Frazier Park woman pleaded no contest Tuesday to a misdemeanor child endangerment charge after a Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputy found a child left in a Honda Civic outside Target on Magic Mountain Parkway.
Maurianne Alyce Clark, 27, received a sentence of three days in jail, 15 days of community labor not involving children, a 52-week parenting class and three years of informal, or summary, probation, according to a spokesman with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Sheriff’s Station deputies responded Sunday to a call at 4:45 p.m. from a concerned man who noticed a 9-month-old female infant sitting alone in the backseat of a car for about 30 minutes.
The witness claimed he checked on the child periodically after contacting deputies, according to a Sheriff’s Station arrest record. The child did not appear to be injured in the incident.
When the deputies arrived on scene, they found the doors unlocked and the engine running, according to Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station reports.
They checked on the status of the 9 month old baby girl, who was sleeping, while another deputy on scene asked the store’s management to put out a notification regarding the vehicle in hopes the owner would come outside.
Inside the car, a deputy found a cellphone, which, he later determined through the course of his investigation, was engaged in an active call and being used as a baby monitor.
The deputy asked the owner of the phone to return to the car, and in three to four minutes, Clark, who works in a child-care facility, returned to the scene with her boyfriend.
The deputy noted the air conditioning was on low, but the car was warm, according to the incident report.
After questioning Clark and her companion, Clark was arrested on a felony child cruelty charge for endangering her child and booked in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Several factors were evaluated by Deputy District Attorney David Jacobs, who ultimately reduced the charges to a misdemeanor, a District Attorney’s Office spokesman said.
“The child wasn’t in the car for that long, the air conditioning was left running, she left a cellphone inside the car turned on so she could hear it, and she has no prior criminal history,” said Ricardo Santiago, spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office. “Because of that, it was determined that a misdemeanor would be appropriate.”
Deputy Josh Dubin said regardless of what’s left in the car with the child, it’s always dangerous to leave an infant alone in a vehicle.
“Within minutes, your car can reach well over 100 degrees,” Dubin said. “In 10 minutes, a car can heat up at least 20 degrees fahrenheit, and cracking a window does little to keep a car cool.”
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56 Comments
Really 3 days ?? That baby could of died smh
She left the baby in the car for 30min not 3 days.
It doesn’t matter , u don’t leave anybody in a car period! Babies, pets, etc. It get too hot inside vehicle
Crazy woman
Yeah how about let her sit in a car for 3 days instead of an air conditioned jail cell.
Gloria
Sick!
This lady is lucky I didn’t see this happen. I was at Target on Sunday at that time. People like this disgust me! You have to be a really stupid person to do something like this. People have no common sense nowadays. Thank God the car wasn’t stolen. Why couldn’t she bring the baby in with her? At 9 months, most babies are still in removable carseats.
Idiot
Wait this person is in child care ?!! Holy junk people are so stupid
I don’t know how legally some crimes get major sentences or nothing at all but kill, rape or neglect a child and most verdicts are minor.
She should do some time in a hot car!!!!
This really irritated me, the deputy DA says several factors were considered “the child wasn’t in the car that long”?? And even refers to the child as “it” this is ridiculous! This poor baby is lucky a kind person called the cops an checked in instead of hijacked the car and stole the car, phone and baby!
Thank you I do see that and will be writing to him.
Wow what a punishment I’m sure she won’t do that again
stupid ! stupid ! stupid !
here’s a common sense question; why did both her & the boyfriend have to go into target? one of them should have either stayed with the child or take the child with you !!!!
What happens to people when they leave their animals in the car?
Unreal
How come the lady that left her baby in her car in canyon country a few years ago never faced any punishment! Her baby died! So sad, I can’t even believe we have to remind people to not leave their children in the car!
I remember that well, my son was about the same age as the boy and it left me very shaken! I also have a 9 month old right now so this again hits very close to home!
I read this and immediately thought about the little one who sat in the van while his mom went inside and took a nap! She got nothing and this lady gets 3 days – it’s just wrong!
Even though this lady left her air conditioning on, she still put her baby at risk by leaving the car running with the doors unlocked – someone could have kidnapped her baby or took off in her car and dumped the baby! She got off way too easy!
They knowingly left the baby in the car, unlocked, air conditioner on low for over 30 minutes according to the report. This sentence is unjust and abusive to the child. I pray that if anyone sees this happen you will save the child, call the authorities and ask questions later.
Again the Legal System fails!
Geez I don’t even leave a candy bar in the car because it’ll be too hot and melt it but a child!?!? That’s just retarded!
Her picture should be posted around town as the idiot that left child in car. 3 days jail does not surprise me. But at least don’t let her work in child care.
Wow. To light
Shanna Lanphere-Simmons
She shouldnt be in child care!!! I dont even leavr mu son in the car if I have to go get gas… I takr him out go in and pay and then put him back in when im right there with him… some people just shouldnt be parents… I will never use the “child care services” she works at…
If is saw this happen they would come out to a broken window and missing child. Just saying. Now what ya gonna do call the cops on yourself!
If is saw this happen they would come out to a broken window and missing child. Just saying. Now what ya gonna do call the cops on yourself!
Oh and she works at child care facility!
Oh and she works at child care facility!
There are some really stupid people in this world. I feel bad for that sweet baby to have such dumb parents
There are some really stupid people in this world. I feel bad for that sweet baby to have such dumb parents
Omg! I want to leave this person in a hot car for 30 min?! The person that said the 9 month old wasn’t left alone for very long should be kicked in the face! How dare these lazy sobs to take the monitor in target than there own kid! They should get there kid taken away!
Omg! I want to leave this person in a hot car for 30 min?! The person that said the 9 month old wasn’t left alone for very long should be kicked in the face! How dare these lazy sobs to take the monitor in target than there own kid! They should get there kid taken away!
what a dumb lazy Ass of a mother
what a dumb lazy Ass of a mother
It wasn’t a hot car for all you idiots ranting and raving about hot cars, the car was left running with AC on so as far as hot is concerned it was no different than if they were driving around, the crime here is that she left her child alone and for that 3 days is just.
It wasn’t a hot car for all you idiots ranting and raving about hot cars, the car was left running with AC on so as far as hot is concerned it was no different than if they were driving around, the crime here is that she left her child alone and for that 3 days is just.
Preach
Preach
Stupid people shouldn’t procreate.
I hope you have no children, rainbow unicorn.
Our DA must be an idiot as well. What 2 people in the right mind set leave an INFANT alone in a running car. What if they were car jacked? What if there happened to be a child molester roaming the streets?!? Seriously this lady is either really really lucky or well connected. I’ve seen people charged with harsher penalties for leaving A dog in the car. This is horrendous. I hope to GOD that she is never allowed to care for children again.
Dumb ass
Unfricking believable…a misdemeanor?
That’s it?? What a joke
So Vicky Guevara 30 minutes is acceptable to you? I was a single mother of 2 boys, I NEVER left them in the car for any reason . 30 minutes is Not OK.
I don’t understand our system . I don’t understand why the woman or her boyfriend couldn’t stay in the car they both really had to get off??? Some people shouldn’t be parents . what is it gonna take for an infant to get hurt or abducted or worse for something to be done . They should leave her in a car as punishment in 100 degree weather with the window cracked and she how she does. Air on low and phone as baby monitor come on THERE IS NO REASON TO LEAVE A CHILD ALONE ON A RUNNING CAR UNATTENDED FOR 30MINS! What has our society coming to . poor baby
I liked this left shoe off reminder article.
http://www.news-press.com/story/news/investigations/melanie-payne/2014/06/20/tell-mel-neverleft-campaign/11102697/
Willis is right. Had you added an adult to the equation nobody would have batted an eye. Just a sleeping baby in a car with running A/C accompanied by dad while mom ran into the store. The key (and overlooked) is abandoning the baby. That is inexcusable in any weather.
Those of you with your pitchforks raised, you do realize an eye-for-an-eye would be her napping in an air conditioned car for 30 mins. Right?
On top of her 3 days (after which I doubt she’ll ever make the same mistake again) she is doing community service (punishment), probation (they’ll keep tabs on her), and a year of parenting classes (which she obviously needs). The best part is that it will keep the kids out of the system and being cared for by a mom who, in theory, will mow be the most safety inclined woman on Earth.
She works at a day care? I wouldnt be taking my kids there. Bad judgement all around on her part. It’s too bad people dont have to get a license to breed. Those two should be sterilized immediately.
Sad….when will people learn ? Ive never really looked around in cars as I’m walking in a parking lot….but I will now! Maybe one must have to hv a parenting class prior to having children.
Ya…she works at a child care center. That is even scarier. If she will do this to her own child WHO KNOWS what neglect the children in her care hv suffered. These people need to be forced to be locked in a car and see how they like it.