Two Arizona mothers are facing multiple charges after police say they went to a bar for drinks and left their four young children unattended in a parking lot.
According to Glendale police, the incident occurred on March 8 at the Westgate Entertainment District. The department released bodycam footage of the incident on Thursday.
Around 11 p.m., several witnesses reported seeing a small child running through the parking lot alone. Responding officers followed the child to a vehicle, where they discovered three more children inside without any adult supervision.
Police said the oldest children were only 3 or 4 years old, and the youngest two were strapped into car seats.
In the bodycam video, one child is heard crying while an officer offers them a bottle to help calm them down.
Officers also discovered a large bag of marijuana in the glove compartment of the vehicle.
Authorities searched nearby businesses to find the children’s guardians. Roughly 30 minutes later, two women returned to the car. One claimed she had only gone to the restroom and had been gone for 10 minutes, while the other said they’d been away for 15 minutes.
An officer quickly challenged that, saying,
“That’s a lie. We’ve been standing with these kids for over 45 minutes by themselves.”
Both women later admitted to having at least one drink at a nearby bar.
Police arrested both mothers at the scene. Their names have not been publicly released.
Glendale firefighters transported the children to a hospital for evaluation.
In a statement, the police department thanked the bystanders who acted quickly, saying:
“We’re thankful to the good Samaritans who stepped in and did the right thing. It’s a strong reminder: leaving kids alone – especially while under the influence – is not only irresponsible, it’s illegal.”
