LOS ANGELES - Criminal charges were filed Friday against the 19-year-old mother of a toddler who was found abandoned along with a dog inside a car in Highland Park.
What we know:
Bianca Slaughter pleaded not guilty to one felony count of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death involving the toddler on Sunday, along with one felony count of battery with serious bodily injury involving a separate alleged victim five days earlier.
She was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $155,000 bail and is due back in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Jan. 15 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to allow the case to proceed to trial, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
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Mother of child abandoned in vehicle arrested
The 2-year-old's mother was arrested on an unrelated charge - kidnapping another person.
The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services shared the child's photo in hopes the public would help identify him or his family.
The backstory:
The 18-month-old boy was found around 9:55 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 28 in the 300 block of North Avenue 52 after a car owner reported a man trying to steal his vehicle before fleeing on foot.
The car owner said he looked in his car and found the child and dog inside. Detectives searched the area but were unable to locate the suspect. Police said the suspect is not the child's father.
Slaughter was identified as the child's biological parent and arrested late Tuesday.
What they're saying:
"The child will remain in the care of the Department of Child and Family Services until he can be placed in a safe environment," the LAPD stated. "The dog found during the incident remains in the care of Los Angeles County Animal Services, with no license tag or microchip. Detectives are following leads to identify the owner."
Police had originally said the dog appeared familiar with the child.
Anyone with information about the case or the dog is urged to contact the LAPD Northeast Division watch commander at 323-561-3211, Detective Ryan Lamar at 39284@lapd.online, or the DCFS Hotline at 1-800-540-4000. You can remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477) or lacrimestoppers.org.
The Source: Information for this story came from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles Police Department.