NJ Toddler Dies In Car Seat While Mom Was High On Drugs: Police

SALEM COUNTY, NJ — A 2-year-old child died over the weekend after her mother left her unattended in a car seat while she was using drugs, authorities said.

Deanna Joseph, 39, of Alloway Township, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child after police say she left her child unattended in a car for an unspecified amount of time.

Police responded to a 911 call for an unresponsive 2-year-old at 9:45 p.m. Saturday night. The child was pronounced dead on the scene at 10:02 p.m. Police believe the child injured herself while the mother was getting high on drugs.

The cause of death remained unknown Monday morning. Joseph was arrested and lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility.

It is the third time Joseph has been arrested for endangering her children as a result of drug use, according to nj.com. In 2014, police found her unconscious while her infant son bathed in several inches of water.

In 2011, she was accused of leaving her two children home alone. She was found unconscious in a parking lot, under the influence of drugs, according to a report by the Burlington County Times.

Image: Salem County Correctional Facility