A 19-year-old mother has been arrested after officers found her toddler and a dog abandoned in a car while responding to a call about an attempted vehicle theft in Highland Park, authorities said.
Los Angeles resident Bianca Slaughter was arrested Tuesday and is currently being held in lieu of $100,000, according to a Los Angeles Police Department news release and booking records.
Slaughter’s 18-month-old son was found after a 911 caller reported an attempted car theft in the 300 block of North Avenue 52 around 10 a.m. Sunday, police said. The victim said that a male suspect fled the area on foot and that the toddler and dog were left behind in the vehicle.
The Department of Child and Family Services took temporary custody of the child, while the dog was collected by Los Angeles Animal Services.
With assistance from the community, detectives later identified the toddler and his biological parents, prompting them to take Slaughter into custody on an unspecified felony charge.
In California, it is illegal to leave a child 6 or younger alone in a car if there are conditions that pose a risk to the child’s safety, if the vehicle is running or if the keys are in the ignition. A violation of this section of the penal code, known as Kaitlyn’s Law, is typically enforced with a fine but can lead to more serious felony charges of child endangerment, depending on the circumstances.
The LAPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding why the father was not also taken into custody or to explain the connection between the toddler and the male suspect reportedly involved in the attempted car theft.
To make matters murkier, the dog, which police said appeared familiar with the toddler, does not appear to belong to Slaughter. It had no tag or microchip, and detectives are continuing to seek information to identify its owner, police said.
For now, the child will remain in the care of Child and Family Services until he can be placed in a safe environment.
Anyone with further information on this incident is asked to contact the LAPD Northeast Division watch commander at (323) 561-3211, or Det. Ryan Lamar via email at 39284@lapd.online. During nonbusiness hours or weekends, people are asked to call (877) 527-3247.