Luz Elena Ortiz-Areiza appears in Broward bond court.
A 21-year-old Pompano Beach woman is facing a child neglect charge after leaving her toddler in a car while she shopped at the Lauderhill Mall, police said.
Luz Elena Ortiz-Areiza was arrested Tuesday after her 2-year-old was found wandering in the mall's parking lot, according to the police report read in court Wednesday morning.
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During her first court appearance, Broward assistant state attorney Eric Linder called the allegations “aggravating.”
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“She left her 2-year-old child in the car for an hour while she went shopping in the Lauderhill Mall,” he said. “The child was able to unlock the door and run through a busy parking lot."
The child was not harmed, he added.
Public defender Hector Romero said the single-mother expressed remorse over her poor judgment.
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She remained in the Broward County Jail late Wednesday on a $2,000 bond, records show.
