Woman Accused Of Leaving Her Child Alone At The Mall
Police say Natalia Rosca left her 4-year-old daughter in a play area for an hour while she went shopping
A Mentor woman faces a child endangerment charge and is accused of leaving her 4-year-old daughter alone for an hour in Great Lakes Mall while she went shopping.
Shoppers noticed the girl was left by herself in one of the mall's play areas Wednesday, Mentor Police Lt. Ken Zbiegien said.
There is a sign by the play area that says a guardian must stay with their children and supervise them, Zbiegien said.
The shoppers told mall's Guest Services Department who, in turn, made a call over the loudspeaker and even called store owners to see if they could find the girl's mother.
They also contacted mall security who called the police.
The girl was spotted by herself at 5:30 p.m., Mentor Police arrived at 6 p.m. and the mother -- Natalia Rosca, 37 -- returned to the play area at 6:30 p.m., Zbiegien said.
She told the police that she had been shopping at JC Penney.
"She said she didn't think that it was tht big of a problem and that she didn't plan to be gone that long," Zbiegien said.
The police disagreed and charged her with child endangerment, a first-degree misdemeanor. She was arraigned Friday morning in Mentor Municipal Court and released on a personal bond.
Rosca's next court hearing is scheduled for July 7.
Zbiegien said he was grateful to the shoppers and mall employees who did their best to find the girl's mother.
"People did what they needed to do to protect the child, which is great," he said. "That's what people should do."
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City of Mentor Police Department & Municipal Court
8500 Civic Center Blvd, Mentor, OH
CCRady
10:44 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
"She said she didn't think that it was tht big of a problem and that she didn't plan to be gone that long," Zbiegien said.
Doesn't that SAY IT ALL? Why do people still insist on having kids if they are not going to put their own needs second? A child is a huge responsibility, the biggest one in life! When will parents get it? I feel sorry for the child! If she did it once (that we know of) and doesn't see anything wrong with it - whose to say this will be the ONLY time? And next time, that child may not be as lucky to have honest people watch over her until help arrives! JMO
Alicia G
10:46 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
What a Looser .. There r A Lot of Sick people out there who could have taken her daughter & raped her & killed her .. This Mother SHOULDN'T have Children !!
Veronica
11:01 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
It's not just an issue that someone could take her, but after an hour most 4 year olds get bored, tired, hungry etc... After an hour she could have just plain wandered off, or worse yet out the door on to Mentor Avenue. Thank goodness there were other sensible parents there watching. What a moron. I can't even imagine 5 minutes let alone an hour.
Troy McClure
11:16 am on Sunday, June 3, 2012
I commend the police for charging this selfish "parent."
She felt her leaving her child in a MALL PLAY AREA wasn't a big deal speaks volumes for several reasons.
1. Someone could take her child;
2. Her child could get hurt and there's no one there to attend to the child;
3. That it's someone else's job to watch her child;
4. Complete disregard for rules/policies.
Karl Hubrath
12:10 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012
Hello people I would like to make a comment thanks. I think the real tragic is that we live in a society to where we have to watch our kids 24/7, that we cannot trust anyone that we have to lock everything up ext.… I do agree that this kid would have gotten board and left the area all together which becomes and endangerment issue in itself, shame on you mother. I just wanted to point out the most obvious problem with this issue “society in general.” God bless.