Police Seek Mother Who Allegedly Abandoned Child in Grocery Store

A California woman has allegedly abandoned her child in a grocery store, police say.

Riverside Police are searching for the woman who they say left her two-year-old child in a Food 4 Less grocery store, KABC reported.

Authorities say officers responded to a report of a child found around 5:55 p.m. Sunday when investigators determined the woman abandoned her daughter in the store.

Surveillance footage shows the child entering the store by her mother’s side before the child wanders off. The mother allegedly never looked for the child.

The woman continued to shop when a Good Samaritan identified the child and brought her to her mother.

Authorities say she told the Good Samaritan to “just leave her.” She eventually abandoned the little girl after she paid for her groceries.

Police say the mother left her child in the store intentionally. The toddler was able to identify her mother in a photo from surveillance footage, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported.

The little girl has not been reported missing as of Monday evening and was placed in the custody of Child Protective services, police said.

The mother is described as a woman between 20 and 30-years-old with dark hair, wearing a black or dark tank top with denim shorts. She may have tattoos covering parts of her right arm.

Police are asking people who recognize the woman or have any information on her to call Detective Paul Miranda at 951-353-7945 or pmiranda@riversideca.gov.