A Pennsylvania mother is behind bars after allegedly abandoning her 4-month-old in a parked car while she shopped inside Walmart, police say.
At a Glance
- Tina Chiara DeCarla, 42, left her infant in the front seat for roughly 21 minutes on Jan. 10
- A shopper spotted the baby improperly restrained and called 911
- DeCarla fled before officers arrived; she was arrested six days later at a Warminster home
- Why it matters: She now faces $100,000 bail, a no-contact order with her child, and mandatory coordination with child-welfare officials
Officers responded to the Walmart on a report of a baby sleeping alone in the parking lot shortly after 3:49 p.m., according to the Warrington Township Police Department.
Investigators say DeCarla pulled into the lot, exited her vehicle at 3:55 p.m., and walked into the store, leaving the 4-month-old in an improper front-seat restraint.
A concerned customer stayed near the car, dialed 911, and kept watch until the mother reappeared.
DeCarla returned to the vehicle at about 4:16 p.m. The witness asked her to wait for police, but DeCarla allegedly drove away before officers arrived.
Six days later, on Jan. 16, detectives located and arrested DeCarla at a residence in Warminster.
During the arrest, authorities discovered she also had an outstanding warrant issued by the Bucks County Detectives.
Magisterial District Judge Joseph J. Falcone set bail at $100,000, or 10 percent cash, for each case.
Court records show DeCarla was ordered to:
- Cooperate fully with Bucks County Children and Youth Services
- Have zero contact with her 4-month-old child
Unable to post bail, she was transported to the Bucks County Correctional Facility and remains in custody.
Key Takeaways
- A 21-minute shopping trip turned into multiple criminal charges and a child-welfare investigation
- The no-contact order bars DeCarla from seeing her infant until further court action
- The case highlights Pennsylvania’s strict protocols for unattended-child incidents
