2-Year-Old Found Wandering In Monmouth County Parking Lot

NEPTUNE, NJ — A 2-year-old child was found wandering the parking lot of the Burlington Coat Factory on Highway 66 Friday evening in Neptune, police said.

The mother, who had gone inside to shop while she said her child was sleeping in the car, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.

Ocean Twp. police were called to the Burlington Coat Factory at 2351 State Highway 66 at approximately 5:35 p.m. last Friday, March 23. Someone found the small child wandering around the parking lot.

Police canvassed the lot and found a car with its door slightly ajar. The vehicle registration was checked and that name was broadcast within Burlington Coat Factory.

The child’s mother, Humu Koroma, 33, was found shopping in the store. She told police she left her child unattended in the vehicle because the child had fallen asleep and she needed to shop, Ocean Twp. police said.

Koroma was charged with child endangerment. She was processed and released on a criminal summons pending a future court appearance. The New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency was notified and would be involved with a follow up investigation.

Photo: The exterior of the Burlington Coat Factory at 2351 State Highway 66 via Google Earth.