A Poplar Bluff, Mo., woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon on suspicion of endangering the welfare of her young daughter by allegedly leaving the sleeping toddler alone in her car on the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter.
Poplar Bluff Police Patrolman Shaun Prenger, according to his report, was sent to Walmart at about 3:23 p.m. regarding a child being left alone in a vehicle.
Upon his arrival, Prenger said, he contacted Walmart employees and Brenda Parks, who reported she "noticed a baby sleeping in the back of a vehicle that was parked next to hers."
Parks reportedly called the police at about 3:15 p.m., and officers arrived about 17 minutes later.
Prenger said he saw a white female juvenile, later found to be 2 1/2 years old, asleep in the back of the car. The child reportedly was in a car seat in the back seat of a Pontiac Bonneville.
Prenger said the driver's side and passenger side windows were down in the car. It is unknown if the car was locked at the time.
At about 3:40 p.m., Prenger said, he spoke with a Butler County juvenile officer, who was told of the situation and was to contact the Missouri Children's Division.
Shortly after speaking with the juvenile officer, at about 3:45 p.m., Prenger said, Karen J. Foster arrived at the car.
"I asked K. Foster who was watching (the child)," Prenger said. "(She) stated that 'Joe' was supposed to be watching (the child) and had to throw something away in the trash can."
Prenger said no one had approached the car in the time Parks had been watching over the child.
Foster, 29, of the 1600 block of Sanders Street was arrested at 4 p.m. on suspicion of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. She was booked at the Butler County jail.
Foster's daughter was taken into custody by a Missouri Children's Division employee.