The Mambo Seafood restaurant off the Northwest Freeway in Houston, Texas (Google Maps).
A mother from Texas, who is employed full-time as a nurse, was taken into custody after allegedly leaving her 1-year-old unattended in an unlocked vehicle while her family dined at a restaurant.
The 29-year-old, Sally Zamora, was apprehended by Houston authorities on Monday. She faces charges of abandoning a child with plans to return. As per court documents examined by Law&Crime, Zamora was keeping an eye on her toddler via a camera as she, her husband, and their other kids where inside Mambo Seafood at approximately 4:00 p.m. that day.
Officers reported heading to the scene after a passerby discovered the lone child in the vehicle, which was found unlocked with the engine and air conditioner running.
Per court records, Zamora purportedly confessed to officers that she stayed inside the restaurant for “over an hour” without physically checking on her little one because she was surveilling the baby through an in-car camera. She ostensibly told officers she was unaware the car was left unlocked. Documents mentioned that alcohol might have influenced the supposed offense.
In the police reports, it was noted that although the car’s air conditioning was operational when the baby was found by both the witness and the police, the temperature on that Monday, August 11, soared to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, the child appeared unharmed.
The local NBC station KPRC reported that a spokesperson from the Houston Police Department confirmed the child was handed over to Zamora’s husband and that state Child Protective Services were alerted. Law&Crime contacted the Houston Police Department and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to ask whether Zamora’s husband, present at the scene with her and the other children, will face charges. Both entities have yet to respond.
Zamora was charged with one count of abandoning a child with the intent to return. She posted $1,000 bond and was ordered to enroll in a parenting class. Her next court date is Oct. 15.
