Submitted by Fox First at Ten on July 27th
SPOKANE, Wash. – A one-year-old baby girl is now in the custody of Child Protective Services, after her mother left her alone in a car while shopping at Office Depot in the 4500 block of north Division in Spokane.
It happened Wednesday around 5 p.m., and a concerned witness called police. When the Spokane police officer arrived, he found the baby in her car seat, with the window rolled down and the car engine on. The officer said the girl appeared happy, and was doing fine.
Spokane Police say the baby was left inside the car for 10-15 minutes.
The child's mother told police she left the baby in the car with the child's father, but police were not able to confirm that. However, they were concerned enough, they called Child Protective Services, and the baby is now in its custody.
While CPS can't comment on specific cases, they did tell KHQ it's normal policy for CPS to conduct it's own investigation into potential child abuse or neglect.
It is illegal in the state of Washington to leave any child under the age of 16 alone in a running car – a misdemeanor offense.
Right now, the child's mother is not facing any charges, but Spokane Police say she may in the future, depending on the investigation.
