Woman left 1-year-old alone in car while drinking at St. Helena bar, police say
A Sheldon woman was charged with child abuse, accused of leaving her 1-year-old in the car for hours while drinking at the bar of a St. Helena restaurant, according to police.
Jessica Davidson, 33, of Sheldon was charged with child abuse and neglect on Tuesday by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
A woman who is a server at the restaurant said she was outside on a smoke break around 8 p.m. when she heard a baby crying inside a black car, according to a report from the Sheriff’s Office.
She opened the door of the unlocked vehicle, which had its engine running, to find a screaming baby with a wet diaper, the report said.
The 1-year-old’s mother, Davidson, was inside having a drink. After the police were called, Davidson said she had been at the restaurant since 5:30 p.m. but was checking on the baby frequently.
Davidson told the deputy her daughter “was in the car watching videos and sleeping.”
She, and other witnesses, told the Sheriff’s Office that Davidson was in an abusive relationship and used the restaurant as an escape.
Davidson was arrested and booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center on Tuesday night. She was released before noon the following day.
After the arrest, the 1-year-old was turned over to a family friend, according to Maj. Bob Bromage.
