HAZLETON — A teenage mother is accused of leaving her 14-month-old child unattended while she went into a bar in Hazleton.
Hazleton police said the child was left alone outside for about 25 minutes.
A woman told police she found the infant outside the bar on West Broad Street around 2 a.m. Saturday.
The child was taken to the hospital to be checked out. That’s when police say Destiny Davila, 18, showed up and identified herself as the child’s mother.
Police said Davila admitted that she had been drinking and decided to take her daughter to the bar. She said she gave her daughter to someone at the bar to watch her and eventually noticed she was missing.
Davila is locked up on charges including child endangerment, reckless endangerment, and underage and public drunkenness.
“The appalling situation like what occurred last night are stark reminders to mothers in desperate situations that there is always a better choice for their baby,” said Hazleton Police Chief Jerry Speziale. “Sadly, this is the first newborn abandonment of 2017 and thankfully the baby was found unharmed by alert officers.”
