Mother arrested after child found abandoned in car with dog in Highland Park
LOS ANGELES - The mother of a 2-year-old boy who was found abandoned in a stranger's car in Highland Park over the weekend has been arrested on an unrelated charge, sources confirmed with FOX 11 on Wednesday.
What we know:
According to police, 19-year-old Bianca Slaughter was arrested for kidnapping someone else — an adult.
Authorities said they will pursue charges connected to child abandonment.
The backstory:
According to the LAPD, officers responded to a call reporting attempted grand theft on Sunday, Dec. 28 around 10 a.m. in the 300 block of N. Avenue 52 in Highland Park.
"I confronted him and asked what he was doing in my car, and he said a dog was trying to attack him," the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, previously told FOX 11.
According to witnesses, the suspect used wipes to clean his fingerprints off the car seat before running away.
When the car owner looked inside his car, he saw the child and dog left behind.
Police said the suspect is not the child's father.
Additionally, police believe the dog lived with the child at some point since the two seemed familiar with each other.
What we don't know:
No suspect information was released.
It is unclear what the suspect's relationship is with the mother or child, if any.
What's next:
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to call the LAPD.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Los Angeles Police Department.