Mother Cited for Leaving Kids, Ages 1 and 10, Alone in Car

Police were called to the T.J. Maxx parking lot on Tunxis Hill Cutoff after a shopper reported seeing two children alone in a car on Sunday afternoon.

Responding officers found a 10-year-old and a 1-year-old alone in the car with the engine running and the air conditioner on, according to the Fairfield Minuteman.

Police used the store’s PA system to locate the mother, Jennifer Pavelus, who immediately identified herself after hearing the announcement, the Minuteman reports.

Police issued a misdemeanor summons to Pavelus, 30, of Bloomfield Drive, for leaving a child under 12 unsupervised, according to the Fairfield Citizen.

The Citizen reports Pavelus told police she had just run into the store to get a bag.