Struthers woman arraigned on child-endangering charge

Staff report

struthers

A woman who is charged with child endangerment for leaving her baby in a car while she went into a restaurant was arraigned in Struthers Municipal Court.

Judith Parnell, 21, of Spring Street in Struthers was arraigned Monday. She posted $100, 10 percent of a $1,000 bond, and will be back in court March 26 for a pretrial on the first-degree misdemeanor charge, the court said.

Police said they got a call at 8:13 p.m. Saturday from an employee at Los Gallos on South Bridge Street.

The employee told police a small child was left unattended in a car in the parking lot.

Officers found Parnell’s 7-month-old son in a car seat on the backseat of her car. They said the windows were slightly open, and the baby had bare feet and only a thin blanket covering him.

Officers traced the car’s owner, then found Parnell inside in a booth with relatives.

Police asked her whose child was out in the car, and she replied, “Oh, that’s mine, I don’t ever do this,” the report said.

She got up and walked toward the exit. Police placed her under arrest.

Officers also said Parnell appeared to be drunk.

Mahoning County Children Services was notified, and the baby was released to a relative.