Chattanooga woman charged with leaving 1-year-old in car while celebrating New Year's Eve
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WTVC) - A Chattanooga woman faces neglect charges after police say she left a one-year-old child locked alone in a vehicle in front of a bar in downtown Chattanooga while she was apparently celebrating the New Year.
An affidavit obtained by NewsChannel 9 says about an hour before midnight, a bystander spotted the child in the car on Cherry Street, and busted out a window to retrieve her.
25-year-old Sylvie King faces child neglect, public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges. Police say the child is now with her grandmother.
The affidavit says a bystander called police about the child, who was seen locked and by herself in the vehicle, which had been parked near the front of the bar.
Officers contacted security at the nearby bar to have the owner of the vehicle paged over the intercom. No one responded.
But a few minutes later, the affidavit says King approached her vehicle and the officers.
The affidavit says police could "smell a heavy odor of alcohol coming from her person," adding that her "speech was slurred, her eyes were glossy and red" and that she was "very disorganized and irate."
Officers asked King why she left her child locked in a vehicle for an extended period of time. The affidavit says, "Ms. King immediately became irate and belligerent with police, causing a further disorder."
The affidavit says after repeated attempts to calm King down, they arrested her, and reached out to the child's grandmother, who came to the scene and took the child.
Officers then booked King at the Hamilton County Jail.
We spoke with King Friday afternoon. She told us she did not want to comment on this story, but she does say that the child is doing fine, and so is she.
This is a developing story. Depend on us to bring you more details as we learn them.
