I know things can happen in mere seconds, and there are tons of stories about horrible things happening like that, but I still think this one went beyond what the police had to do. She was feet away from the vehicle, with it locked, alarmed and all that, and had full view of it (she said). She wasn't going shopping, just dropping off coins to the Salvation Army.

Had she left the child for a long time; had she been in a bar drinking; had she left the child in the car and gone to work because she had no baby sitter... those types of things I could understand them prosecuting her for. For walking 10 feet away, with the car in plain sight and locked and alarmed, I just think it's going overboard to say she could get a year in jail.

Making her aware that it is wrong to leave a child of that age alone for any length of time is a good thing, but jailing her for it, that would be ridiculous. A fine, and some community service, and classes on childcare safety and first aid?? I dunno. She doesn't look like some crack junkie who would just leave her kids alone, but then again, just because she looks affluent doesn't mean she should get off easier.