California couple left their 1-year-old wandering in motel parking lot and 2-year-old inside room as they went out to get intoxicated
LAKE ELSINORE, CALIFORNIA: Police rescued two young children who had been left alone at a California motel for hours while their parents were out getting intoxicated. Deputies from Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station responded to the motel in 31700 Block of Casino Drive on October 8 after receiving a report about a child walking alone in the parking lot wearing only a diaper, according to a press release.
On arrival, they found the one-year-old child alone in the parking lot, as the caller had reported. They also discovered an open door leading into a room, where they found another child, a two-year-old, alone inside. In one of the photos of the scene uploaded by the sheriff's station, a deputy can be seen cradling one of the toddlers and patting him on the back. In another, he watches over as the toddler plays around on the bed.
The deputies subsequently attempted to locate the parents of the toddlers, and after 30 minutes, their father, identified as 50-year-old Joseph Salas, of Temecula, arrived. They transported Salas and the two children back to the station, where the childrens' mother, 32-year-old Tamara Ross, also of Temecula, arrived a short while later.
On investigation, it was revealed that both the parents had left the toddlers alone for over three hours. It also emerged that both were intoxicated. Salas was under the influence of marijuana while Ross drove to the station under the influence of alcohol.
Salas was arrested for felony child endangerment and being under the influence of marijuana in public, while Ross was arrested on charges of felony child endangerment and driving under the influence of alcohol. Both were then transported to Cois Byrd Detention Center, and Child Protective Services were called to take custody of both children.
Anyone with additional information is urged to call Corporal Brown at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station at (951) 245-3300 or Riverside County Sheriff’s dispatch at (951) 776-1099.