Long Island police say they made two separate arrests on Sunday of parents who left their children unattended in cars. Sheldon Dutes reports.
Long Island police say they made two separate arrests on Sunday of parents who left their children unattended in cars.
Marcela Monaco was arrested in Huntington for leaving her 4-year-old son alone in a car while she went shopping. Witnesses said the child was left for 20 minutes inside a car that was not running while the temperature was 37 degrees.
Monaco was charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
Police say another couple was arrested in Patchogue after they allegedly left their three young children in a running, unlocked car for 20 minutes while they went shopping.
Witnesses said the three children -- a 6-month-old baby, a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old -- were left in the car for about an hour.
Donald Hayes and Sarah Hayes were arrested and charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Sarah Hayes said after an arraignment Monday that the whole thing was a misunderstanding. She said the children were only in the car for 15 minutes and that her husband was watching them from a distance.
--Sheldon Dutes contributed to this story
