Chicago woman charged with child endangerment at Deerfield store

A Chicago woman faces a misdemeanor child endangerment charge after leaving her 39-day-old son unattended, except for two dogs, in her unlocked car outside a Deerfield pharmacy, police said.

Elizabeth Manion, 24, of the 400 block of North Green, claimed her mother was supposed to be in the car watching the child while she ran into the Walgreens at 780 Waukegan Road on June 7, according to a Deerfield police report. She was in the store for 20 minutes, police said.

The report stated a passer-by became concerned about the infant in the black Ford Escort and called police about 6:45 p.m. Police officers found the infant strapped into a car seat but alone with only the dogs.

The woman returned to the car as police arrived and told officers her mother was supposed to be in the car baby-sitting the infant while she went inside the store to pick up a prescription.

Police checked several stores near the car but didn't find the mother. Officers called the mother and determined she had not been with Manion that evening.

Store security cameras showed Manion had been in the store for at least 20 minutes, officials said, and hadn't picked up any prescriptions.

She was arrested and charged with the misdemeanor June 7 and is expected back in court July 22. If convicted, she is eligible for a sentence of up to one year in jail.