Long Island Nanny Locks Child in Car, Then Shoplifts: Police

A Long Island nanny is accused of leaving a 3-year-old girl inside a car while she shoplifted merchandise from a store.

Nassau County police say Christine Nunes left a child in the back seat of a locked Dodge Caravan while she went into a Target store around 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville.

Police say a passer-by noticed the child and called police. Officers said the girl was sweating and visibly hot. She had been in the car about 35 minutes with the windows rolled up.

Temperatures were in the low 80s but officers said it was over 100 degrees in the car.

The child was treated for dehydration at a hospital and released.

Nunes was charged with reckless endangerment and petty larceny and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

Nunes' lawyer said mental health issues may have been a factor and that he wants a psychiatric evaluation for his client.

"My client is a very troubled woman, there is some history here of mental health," said her attorney, David Ledgin. "She wouldn't hurt a fly, knowingly."
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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