A Reserve mother was arrested after police say she left her children alone in a running vehicle for almost an hour while shopping inside the Target store in Kenner.
Darnisha Demesme, 29, paid a visit to Target at 1401 W. Esplanade Ave., just before 9 a.m. Sunday, according to Kenner Police Lt. Mark McCormick.
Demesme left her daughters, ages 5 and 6, in the car with the vehicle running. A concerned citizen called 911 to report the children after spotting them alone in the car, McCormick said.
By the time an officer arrived on scene, Demesme had returned to the vehicle. The officer allowed Demesme to leave after warning her about the dangers of her actions, according to McCormick.
The officer wasn't aware of just how long the children had been by themselves, believing the time to have been brief moment.
But once police checked Target's surveillance video, authorities realized Demesme had been inside the store and shopping for 53 minutes and obtained a warrant for her arrest, according to McCormick.
"Vehicle thefts occur, especially with a running motor vehicle," he said. "What's the worst that can happen? Somebody could have taken this vehicle with the kids inside and then discarded the vehicle and the children elsewhere."
Demesme was arrested Tuesday and booked with two counts of child desertion and two counts of leaving children unattended in a vehicle.
Bail was set at $3,000, but she was released Wednesday without paying because of crowding at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.
McCormick and the Kenner police cautioned parents and guardians not to leave young children unattended, especially in similar situations where they may be exposed to hazards or dangers from which they can not protect themselves.