Trumbull police have arrested a Beacon Falls woman who is accused of leaving her 1-year-old niece alone in a car for almost an hour while she went shopping at Hawley Lane Mall last week. Police said store staff also reported that the woman appeared to be intoxicated.
Police arrested 38-year-old Angela Ruggiero, of Beacon Falls, at Hawley Lane Mall on Friday, Nov. 22.
Just after noon, employees of the Five Below store reported that Ruggiero appeared to be intoxicated and was eating food while shopping in the store and police responded.
Police said Ruggiero refused to leave when employees approached her and she opened and discarded merchandise in the store.
When officers tried to speak with her, Ruggiero was uncooperative and had trouble finding her identification, according to police.
They said she initially reported that she was alone, but referred to her niece who was waiting to return home.
Ruggiero’s 13-month-old niece was found inside of a 2017 Nissan Sentra that was parked in the mall parking lot, where police said she had been left alone or nearly an hour.
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Officers also said they found several bottles of alcohol, which presented concerns for her ability to drive away.
Ruggiero was charged with risk of injury to a minor and interfering with an officer after she struggled with officers who were called for a trespassing complaint at the store, police said.
She was held on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Nov. 29.
