Woman charged for leaving child in car in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – A Milwaukee woman is facing a child neglect charge after leaving her child alone in a car on March 19.

The woman is being identified as Chenille Cole.

According to a criminal complaint, police were called to Metro Market store near Van Buren and Juneau. Court documents state 45-60 minutes before their arrival, a customer alerted staff at the store there was an infant who had been left alone inside of a car in the parking lot.

A security guard went outside and saw the child sleeping in the car and was unable to locate a parent or owner of the vehicle.

Staff verified the child had been left alone in the car for an hour through video surveillance, according to the criminal complaint.

Cole arrived back at the car and told police she was the child’s mother and she had only been gone for fifteen minutes. Court documents state Cole said the child had been sick and fallen asleep. She believed it was a safe place for the child to be. She also told police the car seat was heavy.

Cole faces up to 3 and a half years in prison and $10,000 in fines.