Woman Charged for Allegedly Leaving Kids Unattended in a Van

A local woman is facing charges after allegedly leaving her kids in a minivan at Concord Hospital.

Bobbi Jo Howard, 37, of Goboro Road in Epsom, was arrested at 4:23 a.m. on July 20, on three counts of endangering the welfare of a child/incompetent.

According to an arrest report, a sergeant and an officer were sent to Concord Hospital’s emergency room parking lot at around 3:30 a.m. for a report of infants left inside a minivan.

They spoke to hospital security officers who were standing with the vehicle. Inside, there were two infants strapped in car seats. One of the children was screaming and crying very loudly while the other was asleep. The reporting officer noted that the temperature was in the mid-50s and he could see his breath.

“Security advised that the vehicle had been there for over 90 minutes,” he alleged. “They also advised that the officer in dispatch was reviewing the video and had not seen any adult come to the car to check on the children during that time.”

The officer reviewed the tape and saw the minivan pulled in at 2:05 a.m. and a man came out to the vehicle around 2:51 a.m., looked in the vehicle, and then returned to the emergency room.

The officer then went into the emergency room to speak with Howard who allegedly told the officer her 10-year-old daughter was babysitting. When the officer stated he didn’t see a 10-year-old in the vehicle, Howard allegedly stated, “She’s sleeping on the floor.” When asked if the daughter had a cellphone to reach her and she reportedly said she didn’t. When asked why she left her children in the vehicle, she allegedly stated that her husband was checking on them every five minutes.

The officer told her that he wasn’t and they agreed to go outside and Howard said her mother could come and watch the kids.

Both of the infants were checked on and appeared to be cold but otherwise OK. Police then escorted Howard to her mother’s house to drop the children off there. Howard was then arrested. She’s due in court on Aug. 25.

Editor’s note: The following post was derived from information supplied by the Concord Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. Click this link to find out how to get a name removed from a New Hampshire Patch arrest report.