West Haven Mom Left Young Kids Home Alone While Shopping: Police

A West Haven mother accused of leaving her toddler and infant alone in the family's apartment is facing criminal charges, according to police. 

Anlleila Melendez, 29, left her 2-year-old and 3-month-old children at home Friday morning while she went grocery shopping and was gone for 40 minutes, police said. 

Police responded to her home on Coleman Street to investigate a report of a child "calling for his mom from a window" for about 20 minutes and found the young children inside unsupervised, police said.

Melendez was gone for 40 minutes and police said she was remorseful when she came home and found her chlidren upset.

West Haven police charged Melendez with two counts of risk of injury to a minor.  

NBC Connecticut knocked on the door at the Melendez family's condominium Friday seeking comment, but someone who answered declined to discuss the matter.

Police are warning parents of the dangers of leaving young children unattended.

In March, a 2-year-old left alone at a home in Putnam choked to death on a piece of food and died, according to police. That child's father and his girlfriend are charged with manslaughter.

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