One mother, two kids, a parked car. What she thought was just 5 minutes turned into a charge of child endangerment. Was it neglect or a moment of desperation? I saw them. I asked if they were all right. They said they were all right. Yeah. She says she went in for 5 minutes. She can explain what she wants. Okay. She, you know, I'm just I told her I was irritated. Why the situation? It took me more time to find my car in this big ass parking lot than it did to get my food. Okay. But did she have to come out? She did. Okay. Out here for maybe 10 minutes. Okay. It wasn't an hour. It wasn't, you know. Were the kids like sweating or No, he said he was sweating, but she said they were cool. Obviously, my shorts. We literally just got off the swimming pool. His clothes are still wet. Okay. Like I'm This is for me being outside. Okay. Is there a reason you left him in the car and you didn't take him? And then he was sleep. The baby was sleeping. I was like, "Okay." And then I couldn't find a parking spot closer, so I pulled up over there. But like they both said all y'all want me to take my energy upset, but the you know, when we get a call to the vehicle and I've worked I've worked in rehabilitation centers. I'm a HSC. I'm a DSP. I got all day. I know. Trust me, I get it. But what I'm telling you is is that it was just cold a few minutes ago. It was breezy as hell. And we had just got out the pool. It started raining. So I was not going to bring him in there with me. And knowing that I had to walk around him. No, I wasn't. So yes, I did leave him. Yes, I did leave my windows down. No, I was not lolly gagging like that. I ordered my food. My food my phone is dead. Otherwise, I'm going to show y'all I ordered my food before I even went in. All I had to do is wait in line to pick my food up. Then I It took me longer to find my car. All I kept doing was this cuz this park not big as [ __ ] And you see my place from North Dakota. I just moved back out here. So I'm not familiar with this mall. I'm not. So, yes, I'm I'm sorry, but no, like I didn't nothing. I'm still How long do you think you were gone for? It wasn't long at all. I don't know. [ __ ] I just know it wasn't long at all. 10, 15, 20 minutes. No, not no 10, 15, 20 minutes. No, none of that. But I mean, hey, I mean, as y'all could tell, he's not You feel me? He looks a little funny, but I don't know if it's I mean, it's the window. Yeah. You got to understand, you can't just be leaving your kids unattended like that. I understand you just want to go in there and grab your food. All right. But then No, their food, right? Their food. Yeah. Yeah. But Okay. Okay. Um especially in this hot weather, you know. It was That's what I'm saying. But it was just windy and it was just raining. Like what? That's why we got out of the pool and that's why I left them in there because he still has wet clothes on. My son literally was just like, "Mom, can we go to calm down? We just came from the pool." And I was like, "It's might as well. We're right over here." Yeah. We have to go home after this. We live out here in Oakville. I would never just sit there and neglect my baby. All I have looking at me the biggest 1903. Yep. What's the year? Yep. 6065 605 63 whatever. Um, do you mind if I touch your son? I mean, you see how hot it is. Is the car not on? Like damn piece of [ __ ] can you touch him? Go ahead. Like what the This is why I'm saying this one car going to do all this. And this is exactly what I was telling her. This is why I was frustrated because this this the opportunity that mothers take to do [ __ ] by snatch or try to snatch kids. Just paint that for me. We're trying to figure out how long your kids were in the car by themselves. That's all we're trying. That's going to determine what we're going to do with the next steps. Okay. Yeah, that's fine. Because [ __ ] this mall big as [ __ ] I was on one side of the other. It took me longer to get to the car than it did ever to get the food. Um, when I go out the camera, so it took you a while to find where you were going in there. What you mean? Like to get You said it's so big. Like took you a while to figure out where it's confusing as hell. I'm steady walking past it. It's right there by the mall circles around it. It's right there by the front of the mall. That's why I had to ask the guy and stopped at the gym. I literally went in there, my phone died. I had to put my phone on the charger. It literally came on cuz they got the fast charger after like not even a whole minute. Paid for my food. Then I came back out here with steady doing this. I wasn't nowhere near my car cuz it didn't go off. Then I see her truck and I'm like, I'm gonna go ask her to come help me find my car. Next thing you know, she telling me that they done called y'all to come get my kids. So I do have access to the cameras. They do or don't. I can see if you do have access. Yeah, if you could just be out here for a while cuz I ain't got no AC where bathroom over there. I don't even know which was which right there in front of me. It's going to be the bathroom over by I can see if something was wrong with my kids. Like y'all Well, here's here's the issue. Like y'all got to remember I'm out here by myself from North Dakota. I have nobody nobody by yourself with your brother. Like damn, y'all can't understand. Okay. Like I went to get some food. I didn't go in there. I didn't go shopping. I didn't do nothing. Like he was sleep. I was trying to be some other let him sleep and stay in his car seat. We just came from swimming. She said she was gonna come back or I ain't never left my baby. I ain't never sat there and just disown my kids. I take back We're not We're not saying you disown them. We're just saying that you abandon them for a while and then Yeah, you left them to How old is he? I'm not going to argue. Probably two. No, he's he's nine month. He'll be 9 months from 13. Oh, even worse then. When he's sleeping in a car when it was just raining and we just came out. Listen to me. You see what I'm saying? You say you're a mandated reporter, then you should know this inside and out. That is complete neglect to leave a 9-month-old in a car that is unlocked in this heat. Yep, you're right, sir. And leave him. That is It wasn't hot. That's That's why I kept him in the car. It was literally raining after we got out the heat now. I do. Yes, I get it. But even if it wasn't hot out, you left. I'm out here by myself. No family, nobody's 9 and 1 half hours away. Please just give me hundreds of people to walk past. Right. This kid could be in Will County by now, right? That is totally unacceptable on a mother level, right? Okay. Well, let's just hopefully And not only did you just leave one, you left two. These kids cannot fend for themselves, right? So, I don't see why you're thinking this is no big deal. It's a complete big deal with your actions. I'm just frustrated because right now this is they're all I got. Y'all sitting here talking about it's not acceptable. Okay, I get that. It wasn't on purpose to sit here and act like I was just completely neglecting my kids. I left him in here with good intention. I was trying to make sure he didn't get sick. Okay, we just got out the pool. You see, I'm still I'm still So, so yes, I did try to leave my kid and make sure that I took care of him. If that's neglectful cuz I left them in there in a car and it got high and people Okay, cool. I get it. But y'all sitting here basically trying to You feel me? Like it's making me feel like y'all trying to take my kids. I don't have shells but them. So yes, if I'm wrong, we're going to get food. Okay, I'm adult enough to sit there and take that picture. And without even knowing the exact time frame that they're going to see on the cameras, just the statement from you that you're walking around the mall trying to find it. And then the fact that you don't even know where the car is that you admitted, you couldn't even find your car through a door cuz I walked you said you were walking around in the parking lot. So that is you left these kids in a parking lot for x amount of time while you're totling around the mall, right? And then you can't even come back and find them, right? Do you see where the issue is with that? Right. Well, it didn't take me long, but okay. Well, if y'all are like, if that's what y'all going to do, I need to call my mom because at this point, it's given that y'all trying to snatch my kids, and that's not I'm really I'm really not okay with that at all. One thing, just an innocent act of trying to grab my kids some food and leaving my baby in the car. I am soing sorry. I will never do it again. I've seen people leave their kids in here with windows rolled up, all type of [ __ ] Damn near going to die. I left the windows down and everything. Oh, 23 years old. Give me a break. Damn. I'm trying to do all this [ __ ] on my own. So, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I up. I'm sorry, but does that mean y'all can come around and just snatch my kids saying that I just don't take I'm saying I'm asking questions. We are required. Okay. Since you're a mandated reporter, you know how that works, correct? Listen, I don't need y'all taking that and just throwing at me. I'm emotional right now. I'm not trying to be a [ __ ] We're not trying to be nothing. This is not fair cuz I understand. What I'm telling y'all is that this [ __ ] is hurtful right now because I get it. I did not expect it to go from trying to get food to this. That's what I'm telling you. So, yes, I'm taking a downfall as a mother. It hurts my heart because this is my fault. That's what it's seeming like. It's all my fault and I up. So, yes, my feelings are hurt. Yes, I'm emotional. Yes. Yes. This is all I have. My whole family is 9 and a half hours away. I have no to I'm not saying that I don't. I'm just telling you where I'm coming from. But you're saying we're trying to sn we're not trying to snatch your case, but we're going to do the next steps that we're required to do as police officers. Okay, I'm going just calm down and just let y'all do your job cuz I'm just mad and I just I'm not trying to let this [ __ ] go overflow on y'all, but that sh I've seen this [ __ ] happen and I never thought I'd be the person to deal with it. Again, yes, I get it, but whatever. And I understand they're your kids, but you can't just leave your kids unattended in a hot vehicle. Maybe to you it wasn't hot, but leaving them for 5 to 10 minutes was just neglected in. You see what I'm saying? Like it was going to be up and we were you not outside when it was raining a couple minutes ago. That's why we left that's why we left the pool and got in the car and came over here. You can't just leave your kids unattended though. That's that's our point. I get what you're saying. I'm not arguing with you. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I get it. What are you going to do from here now? I just need to know. my they're they're trying to get a time stamp as how long your kids were in the car because they're saying 10 minutes I just wait right now it's like I can't call my mom right now I don't have nobody I don't understand that it's just me and my kids okay so do y'all know how far Kong dog is literally like right there okay so you're saying I'm just going to clarify some questions with you okay you said it was about 10 minutes right ma'am I'm not going to sit here lie to you cuz I really honestly But I I listen to me, okay? I have to do a police report regardless. Okay? I understand that. I'm not trying to stop y'all from nothing. So, I need I need to ask you some questions and you just have to give me approximate what you think. Okay? Besides for the police approximately like 10 minutes dog is literally right in there. You take a left and you go like three four stores down and he can even vouch for me. But I just want to clarify that. But you said you were walking circles around it and you couldn't find it. Yeah. Like I kept walking past it like the entrance right there just cuz I thought it was about That's why I'm just not believing 10 minutes. 10 minutes I would believe you if you went straight there and back. But if you said you were lost in there and walking circles and pass it. One second. Let me think. You're walking circles in there walking back and forth past it and then you come out here and you couldn't find your vehicle either and then you're walking around and then you see the security and then it just happens the security's out with your vehicle and your children right now. So that that's all got to be longer than 10 minutes. I'm not saying it's an hour but it's more than 10 minutes. that door. I walked in specifically. My GPS map before my phone died, it said that it was on level one. So, I walked by the fountain. The fountain is like down. All you got to do is take a straight shot. It wasn't down there. I walked back. Then, I asked the lady, the dots lady in the middle of the mall. She's selling ice cream. I asked her, I said, "Ma'am, can you please tell me where Kong Dog is?" I went to Kong Dog, picked up my food. 5:40, order number 540. Got my stuff, left, came out here. Made sure I walked back from that way all the way through the same door cuz I had my trademark. Walked out this door. I was doing like this walking out. I couldn't hear my car. I seen her. I wasn't trying to waste no time. I instantly came right over to her. Boom. She's at my car. So my car didn't sound off, but I walked out the same door. So you feel me? It didn't take like no this part my biggest [ __ ] So yes, automatically as soon as I came out here, I did this cuz I did not remember exactly spot on where my vehicle was. Yes. But for me to just be walking around, you feel me? Like, and then do you understand that it's hot for your kids to be okay? You understand that? It was like this when I left. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Literally, like, do you understand that it's neglect? No matter how long you left your kids for, you understand? I put that in my head. I don't even understand how I don't I I don't even I would never neglect [ __ ] I won't even use the word neglect at this point cuz this [ __ ] is just like this traumatizing. I even had to deal with this. Like, I get it. Thank god my kids was okay. Thank god I wasn't gone. And one of the moms had left the windows open, etc., etc., but it will never happen. Because what would have happened if your kids would have gotten snatched or something, right? Right. Because the windows are It would all be my fault. Exactly. And that is too many things. You cannot leave your kids unattended no matter how long it is. I understand that the baby was sleeping and you just wanted to run in there quick, but you can't be doing that. I won't do it ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, cuz this is too much. So, just so that we're all clear and you're not wondering anything, you're technically getting arrested, but we're releasing you on scene. It's a class A misdemeanor for endangering the life and health of a child and leaving children under the age of 14 unattended. We we we could if we wanted to push the issue as far as we could, we could take you in and then bring the children in too and then have to turn them over to DCFS. We don't see that fit for this situation. We see it as one bad mistake and this is a learning lesson to move forward. So, we're going to give you a piece of paper. It's the same as if you were arrested and brought in. And then you have a court date and you can go to court and testify as to why you believe there's no winning. That's fine. Okay. Yeah. I'd rather just take that than go to jail. Okay. Whatever. That's just [ __ ] horrible. We're going to fill some paper out. Bodily harm. Whatever. What the There's no bodily harm. It's just endangering the life and health of a child. And one of that aspect, one of those aspects is leaving children under 14. You should know that you should not worse for me that you mind blowing that this could all happen in a couple minutes for me just going to try to get some food with kids and yet you leave a 9month-old and a six-year-old. I work with dogs. I work with crackheads. I work with felons. I work with all that [ __ ] I work with everything. This is not I wasn't trying to have my child get sick. I don't think you understand that. But I get it. I get it. I get it. And then I just don't want you to be surprised either. As you know, as a mandated reporter, we will have to report this to DCFS. So, they might come to your house, they might give you a phone call, but unfortunately, that's the result of the situation. Unfortunately, as a result of my stupidity, great. That's a So, since we're not going to take you in, we're going to release you on scene. Okay? So, if you want to go to court um next month on the 5th at 9:00 a.m. Okay. Also, because I'm not taking you in, you got to go in for your uh your fingerprints before the 23rd of next month or this month. I'm sorry. Okay. And it's only Sundays and Tuesdays at that hour. Okay. Can I take your picture right now? It's for because I'm not taking you into booking. We got to take a picture of you. Okay. Oh, yes. Yeah. Let me just She thought it was just 5 minutes, but it nearly cost everything. If this story made you pause, imagine who else needs to hear it. Don't forget to like the video. Share it with someone who needs to see it and subscribe for more powerful true stories that matter.